Title,Contract Number,Agency,Branch,Program,Year,Phase,Award Amount,SBC,Street,Street 2,City,State,ZIP,Woman-Owned?,Minority-Owned?,HUBZone-Owned?,Contact Name,Contact Title,Contact Phone,Contact Email,Principal Investigator,PI Title,PI Phone,PI Email,Abstract
Dynamic Frequency Passive Millemeter-Wave Radiometer Based on Optical Up-Conversion,WC-133R-14-CN-0121,DOC,NOAA,SBIR,2014,2,399979.35,Phase Sensitive Innovations,51 East Main Street,Suite 201,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,Chief Executive Officer,(302) 456-9003,kelmelis@phasesensitiveinc.com,Thomas Dillon,Senior Research Engineer,(302) 456-9003,dillon@phasesensitiveinc.com,"Passive microwave sensors aboard satellites provide valuable information regarding weather conditions by measuring atmospheric attenuation over a broad range of frequencies from 0-200 GHz. Additional ground-based sensors are desirable to provide complementary upward looking measurements that can be used to refine existing attenuation models. Operating over such a large bandwidth, however, places significant demands on the receiver architecture; a common approach to this challenge involves channelizing the receiver for each frequency band of interest. Unfortunately, this limits the flexibility of the system and finding components that can operate at these higher frequencies is challenging. The approach is taken by Phase Sensitive Innovations involves conversion of the collected radio frequency signals to optical frequencies, where these signals are relatively narrowband and can be processed using conventional photonic components. Optical up-conversion is accomplished using our own high speed (up to 300 GHz) lithium niobate phase modulators acting as broadband mixers. Subsequently an optical heterodyne mixer is used to tune the receiver and bring the desired frequency signals to baseband for detection. Such an approach offers significant advantages in terms of overall simplicity of the receiver design and the ability to operate efficiently at high frequencies up to and exceeding 200 GHz."
"Ruggedized, Ultra-Compact, High Dynamic Range, Dual-Output Wideband Electro-Optic Modulator",N68335-14-C-0412,DOD,NAVY,SBIR,2014,1,79983.00,Phase Sensitive Innovations,51 East Main Street,Suite 201,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,(302) 456-9003,kelmelis@phasesensitiveinc.com,Thomas Dillon,Senior Engineer,(302) 456-9003,dillon@phasesensitiveinc.com,"In this SBIR effort we will develop and analyze (Phase I) a new design and packaging approach for an ultra-compact, dual-output wideband Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) for low noise figure (NF) and high dynamic range radio-frequency (RF) photonic link applications. We will provide (Phase I) experimental proof-of-concept of the proposed device by tailoring our current 100GHz MZM product. In Phase II, we will optimize the modulator and package design based on Phase I experimental results, and fabricate, package and characterize the modulator prototype to meet the design specifications. Special attention will be given to testing the hermetically sealed modulator package under extreme environment following guidelines of DOD test standards. The demand of such a compact dual-output electro-optical (EO) modulator arose from the recent progress in various RF photonic link systems using balanced detection scheme to achieve short noise limited NF performance and modulation OIP3 limited spurious free dynamic range (SFDR). PSI has a unique background to perform this work based on over 10 years""experiences in developing high-speed (up to 300GHz) lithium niobate (LN) modulators and recent success in packaging high-power MUTC PDs that have been employed to realize positive link gain up to 30GHz."
A New Standard for Power-Aware Programming,W909MY-14-C-0042,DOD,ARMY,SBIR,2014,2,502979.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,(302) 456-9003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,Aaron Paolini,Senior Engineer,(302) 456-9003,paolini@emphotonics.com,"The Army needs low-power, lightweight processing for devices carried by the soldier and also for those left as unattended sensors in the field. These applications need to perform complex tasks over long periods of time, but a reliance on heavy batteries s"
Frequency Agile Millimeter Wave (MMW) Signal Generator,N00014-13-P-1101,DOD,DOD,SBIR,2013,1,79690.00,Phase Sensitive Innovations,51 East Main Street,Suite 201,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,(302) 456-9003,kelmelis@phasesensitiveinc.com,Richard Martin,COO,(302) 456-9003,martin@phasesensitiveinc.com,"PSI will leverage our extensive experience and unique capabilities in MMW photonics to design a compact, lightweight, frequency-agile MMW source combining wide, continuous, rapid tunability with superb phase noise and moderate output power. Such a source will have extensive commercial applications in next-generation wireless communications, as well as military applications including reconfigurable and covert communications and electronic warfare. Our photonic system multiplies and upconverts a low-noise, low-frequency reference signal onto an optical carrier (laser) using ultra-broadband electro-optic (EO) modulation. Modulation sidebands injection lock a second laser to a frequency offset from the first by a selectable multiple of the reference. EO modulation is both coherent and ultra-broadband, rendering the lasers mutually coherent, while oscillating at a widely tunable frequency separation. The locked lasers combine on a high-speed photodiode (PD), generating a beat tone at their frequency difference, eliminating optical phase noise. Our concept has been validated in benchtop experiments (Nature Photonics paper); in this effort we will design and specify requirements for an integrated module, based on a silicon-photonic circuit comprising laser cavities, waveguides, couplers, and filters; with hybrid III-V gain integration, packaged with a compact EO modulator, a surface-mounted photodetector, and voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) to provide the reference."
Dynamic Frequency Passive Millimeter-Wave Radiometer Based on Optical Up-Conversion,WC-133R-13-CN-0082,DOC,NOAA,SBIR,2013,1,94761.70,Phase Sensitive Innovations,51 East Main Street,Suite 201,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,John Wilson,,,,John Wilson,Senior Engineer,(302) 456-9003,jwils@udel.edu,"In the proposed effort, we will leverage this extensive experience and capabilities to realize a frequency agile mmW radiometer that can cover the range of DC-110 GHz and can be scaled to DC-200 GHz under Phase II. Ours is a photonic system that multiplies and up-coverts a low-frequency reference signal onto an optical carrier (laser) using EO modulation, then uses the modulation sidebands to injection lock a second laser to a frequency offset from the first by a selectable multiple (harmonic) of the reference. Because the EO modulation process is both (a) coherent, and (b) ultra-broadband, the second laser becomes coherent (phase-locked) to both the first laser and the reference, while oscillating at an offset from the first laser that can be quickly and easily turned over the entire mmW band. An antenna is used to collect the incident mmW energy onto another EO modulator which induces side bands onto the primary laser carrier frequency which are proportional in amplitude to the incident mmW energy. This signal is combined with the second laser on a photodiode which mixes the two signals in a homodyne detection approach. The second laser can be thermally turned to different harmonics which allows it to interrogate the primary laser signal which contains the mmW sidebands. The output at the photodiode is low pass filtered and the DC term is now proportional to the mmW energy at the frequency selected by the second laser."
Packaging High Power Photodetectors for 100 MHz to 100 GHz RF Photonic Applications,FA8650-13-M-1672,DOD,DOD,SBIR,2013,1,149691.00,Phase Sensitive Innovations,51 East Main Street,Suite 201,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,(302) 456-9003,kelmelis@phasesensitiveinc.com,Thomas Dillon,Senior Engineer,(302) 456-9003,dillon@phasesensitiveinc.com,"ABSTRACT: In this SBIR effort we will develop a packaging process and demonstrate (Phase I) a prototype of high power Photodiode (PD) that has a normal incident, pigtailed fiber input and a coaxial RF output that operates from DC to>60GHz. We will apply and extend (Phase II) the aforementioned packaging process to single PD, balanced PD and array of PDs that work from DC through entire W-band. Demand of such packaging methods and processes arose from recent progress in PDs and array of PDs based on modified uni-traveling-carrier (MUTC) thin-layered structures. The speed, bandwidth, and high power of these devices generate great interests of direct RF generation in microwave photonic system for simplification, higher gain, wider dynamic range and lower Noise Figure (NF). However, performance, especially saturation photocurrent of these PDs is critically affected by the packaging material, structure and process. Therefore, developing a reliable, efficient, cost-effective and adaptable packaging approach lies on the critical path toward optical down-conversion and direct RF generation in modern microwave photonic system. Leveraging the experiences of fabricating and packaging ultra-broadband optical and millimeter-wave components, PSI has the knowledge base and unique capabilities of accomplishing this goal. BENEFIT: The potential applications for high-frequency, high-power photodiode technology and its capabilities are vast and could have a profound impact on our society. Traditionally, photodiode is made for detection of photonic input signal based on EO effects. Today, as high frequency microwave, millimeter wave and terahertz range are rapidly explored, photodiodes, especially ones with high output power, have become critical devices and indispensable ways of photonic link demodulation or high frequency signal generation. For example, Terahertz or sub-Terahertz frequencies have proven to be a powerful tool for spectroscopic measurement of far-infrared material properties for dielectrics, semiconductors, liquids and gases, etc., since most chemical compounds show very strong frequency-dependent absorption and dispersion in this frequency range. However, generation of such high frequency signal with enough power is very challenging for practical applications. Among all the solutions, optical based methods that rely on high-frequency and high-power PDs are greatly favored due to its wide bandwidth and configurability. The similar reasons, along with potential high available output power, PDs are vastly investigated and applied for Radio-on-fiber broadband wireless communications, which is propelled by the huge increase of data volume in recent years. According to Edholm""s law, the demand for point-to-point bandwidth in wireless short-range communications has doubled every 18 months over the last 25 years. It can be predicted that data rates of around 510 Gb/s will be required in ten years. Tremendous market demands of high power PDs are expected by then. A list of potential applications of high-frequency, high-power PD includes: a) Spectroscopic applications including imaging, tomography, cancer detection or genetic analysis. b) Material identification such as detection of explosives and related compounds for defense and security applications. c) Broadband short distance wireless communications. d) Broadband phased antenna arrays, radar systems and warfare systems. e) Microwave photonic link system for all-optical backbone microwave distribution. More specifically, PSI will seek and identify applications of high-frequency and high-power PDs in broadband phase array antennas and microwave photonic link system as a platform for multifunctional radar systems, where hundreds or thousands of PDs are required in a single system. To this end, packaged PD module with small size, light weight, low cost and easy-to-deploy interface not only represents an impressive leap forward in our technical capabilities but also a tremendous business opportunity. & #8195;"
Electro-Optically Guided Radar Imaging,W15P7T-13-C-A0741,DOD,ARMY,SBIR,2013,1,99498.00,Phase Sensitive Innovations,51 East Main Street,Suite 201,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,(302) 456-9003,kelmelis@phasesensitiveinc.com,Richard Martin,COO,(302) 456-9003,martin@phasesensitiveinc.com,"Millimeter-wave RADAR imaging holds significant promise for many applications from rotorcraft DVE mitigation to standoff security screening. A key challenge of this imaging modality, however, has been the implementation of an effective method for creating an image without relying on either mechanical scanning or expensive, high SWAP phased array techniques. Herein, we present a concept for creating a phased array RADAR system based on optical excitation and readout of conformal antenna arrays. This work builds heavily on an operational passive millimeter-wave imager designed for rotorcraft DVE mitigation that utilizes optical upconversion to sample a distributed antenna array and a demonstrated distributed transmit array that utilizes photonic techniques for the generation and phasing of millimeter-wave signals across the array. Under the proposed effort, PSI will adapt these technologies to create an all optically addressed conformal RADAR transceiver with capabilities for high speed electronically scanned image formation. Key aspects of this effort will include the development of optical sampling techniques for range binning information and phasing algorithms to maximize information gathering capabilities of the imaging RADAR."
"SBIR Phase I: A Compact, Low Cost and Handheld Sensor for the Detection and Quantifications of Organic Compound Contaminants in Drinking Water",1315018,NSF,NSF,SBIR,2013,1,149999.00,"AlphaSense, Inc.",510 Philadelphia Pike,,Wilmington,DE,19809-,Yes,No,No,Douglas Adolphson,,3029981116,Douglas.Adolphson@alphasense.net,Douglas Adolphson,,3029981116,Douglas.Adolphson@alphasense.net,"This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop a novel chemical sensor technology for inline water quality monitoring. Currently, gas chromatography coupled mass spectroscopy is the most widely used technique for water quality analysis; however, the method is costly, time consuming, and can only be performed by well-trained personnel in a laboratory setting. To meet the market need for a portable, low-cost, and easy-to-use water analysis technology, the project will investigate a photonic sensor platform which resolves the aforementioned challenges through: 1) the development of a compact photonic sensor package consisting of an optical resonator sensor chip, a laser source, and battery power for standalone operation and field deployment; 2) the application of molecularly imprinted polymers as robust sensor coatings for highly selective molecular detection in a non-laboratory setting; and 3) the use of a pattern recognition algorithm to automatically detect and quantify individual component concentrations in a mixture. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is a portable, low-cost sensor product which meets the needs from the water quality monitoring market, a growing sector with a compounded annual growth rate of 4.6%. The implementation of chlorination disinfection systems has virtually eliminated waterborne diseases in the United States. However, disinfection byproducts pose different health risks, including reproductive endpoints, developmental defects, and cancer. If successful, the proposed sensor technology will eliminate/minimize the adverse human health effects caused by those chlorination disinfection byproducts by providing real-time water quality information. According to a recently released market research report, the global water analysis instrumentation market is projected to be $1.86 billion by 2017 with the online systems for water analysis instrumentation being predicted as the fastest growing market segment. A major limiting factor that prevents a wide market acceptance and penetration of existing online water monitoring devices is the relatively high investments involved. The proposed sensor implements the online water quality monitoring functions with mass-producible and inexpensive optical sensor elements and reusable sensor coatings. Consequently, successful demonstrations of the proposed sensor technology can facilitate a wider market acceptance and penetration of the online water quality monitoring devices."
"Unified, Cross-Platform, Open-Source Library Package for High-Performance Computing",DE-FG02-13ER90504,DOE,DOE,SBIR,2013,1,149923.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,Mr.,,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,John Humphrey,Mr.,3024569003,humphrey@emphotonics.com,"Changing technologies in the high-performance computing (HPC) space lead to the creation of new tools and libraries to support each emerging paradigm. Many of these are designed only for specific configurations or for use in certain cases, which makes it difficult for a programmer to know which tool or library to use when and how to transition software built for one system to a new configuration. The last several years has seen the emergence of a new trend in HPC design the rise in the use of special purpose add-on hardware optimized for efficient math computations. The most common embodiment is the graphics processing unit (GPU), which is capable of thousands of simultaneous operations. Machines that include such hardware are known as hybrid, which reflects that they are a hybridization of a multi-core CPU in conjunction with a specialized processing device. Effectively utilizing all of these entities simultaneously is challenging as each involves parallel computing, and moreover each requires a different style of parallel computing. To complicate things further, each component may be supplied by a different manufacturer, supported by different software, and the strategy for efficient use can be problem dependent. Despite these complications, this is the current direction of computing. Systems of this nature already represent three of the ten fastest supercomputers in the world and this trend is unlikely to slow down in the near future. Despite this move to hybrid architectures and the diversity of hardware options available, programmer effort for common tasks is often reduced via the use of software libraries. Examples of commonly used libraries are FFT (Fast Fourier Transform), BLAS (Basic Linear Algebra Subsystem), LAPACK (Linear Algebra Package), and IPP/NPP/OpenCV (for image processing tasks). The programmer expects that optimized and functionally correct versions of these and other routines are available for any given hardware. Ideally, the use of libraries lessens debugging time, eases porting to alternative or future hardware, and gives excellent performance because it is tuned by experts in the hardware and the algorithms. In reality, the space is fragmented, which pushes significant burden to the end programmer. For this project, EM Photonics proposed the development of an open source, unified set of fundamental libraries for use on hybrid HPC systems. EM Photonics will provide baseline functionality for common library routines written in OpenCL that will be cross platform and open source. We will also provide a framework that will allow others (researchers, hardware vendors, commercial library providers, etc.) to plug in alternate implementations. In this way, we will ensure that all functionality will be available and share a consistent feel to the developer across different hardware devices and library families while at the same time allowing functionality to be extended and performance enhanced by specialized implementations. This work will be done in conjunction with our partners in the HPC groups at NVIDIA, AMD, and Microsoft with the intention of adding more partners as the project progresses."
Intuitive Open Platform Usage of ASCR Resources in NumPy,DE-FG02-13ER90505,DOE,DOE,SBIR,2013,1,149923.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,Mr.,,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,John Humphrey,Mr.,3024569003,humphrey@emphotonics.com,"The Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) program from the Department of Energy (DOE) has over the years sponsored the development of many important codes, such as Lattice QCD, Trilinos, PETSc, and Paraview, some of which are libraries. The use libraries in their code allows scientists to concentrate their efforts on their science rather than on the implementation of an often-implemented mathematical technique. The benefit to the programmer is very large, but to non-programmers these libraries remain inaccessible. There is a desire by the DOE to broaden the audience for these codes. The Matlab computing environment is often used by both programmers and non-programmers to achieve remarkable numerical results in a short timeframe and without requiring a deep knowledge of programming. For many scientists, Matlab is a primary tool, but it is not an open platform. More recently, the NumPy and SciPy packages for the Python programming language has sought to bring the power of Matlab into an open environment. Thus, the NumPy/SciPy environment is poised to finally provide an open alternative to Matlab. NumPy at its core provides a matrix abstraction for Python, and then a very large suite of packages in SciPy provide specific functionality, such as linear algebra operations, graphing, optimization routines, etc. A few ASCR libraries are already available as NumPy modules, including Trilinos (PDE operations and linear algebra), SuperLU (sparse matrix direct solutions), and Sundials (nonlinear solvers). These packages are packed for Python essentially as copies of their native C/C++/Fortran interfaces, which requires that the NumPy user understand the usage details and syntax of the library. In contrast, in a Matlab environment, the user focuses on math syntax. Matlab internally uses libraries to fill out the mathematical back-end functions, and then provides very convenient and math-focused syntax where the user does not even need to be aware of the underlying library code. Consider thesystem solve operator, which is A\b, where A is a matrix and b is a vector to solve against. Matlab examines the matrix and calls an appropriate solver from an underlying library such as LAPACK or UMFPACK. We will use this project to bring this level of expression to the Python environment, where the backing functions will be supplied by the robust libraries already funded by ASCR. Our proposed method is to augment the existing tools, especially SciPy, to accomplish three primary goals. First is to increase the mathematical expressiveness of the package by enhancing certain key operators such as the system solve operator described above. Second is to increase the use of ASCR libraries by folding in their functionality to the operators as we perform our work. In Phase I, we will prototype this procedure by making a seamless integration of the ASCR-funded library SuperLU, which is a direct solver for sparse linear systems. EM Photonics is a creator of GPU-enhanced libraries, and we will integrate one of these to increase the speed of Python computations by tenfold or more. Third, our work will further the ability of Python to be used simultaneously for both prototyping and deployment, which often requires separate programs coded in different languages."
A New Standard for Power-Aware Programming,W909M13-C-0024,DOD,DOD,SBIR,2013,1,99888.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,(302) 456-9003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,Petersen Curt,Senior Engineer,(302) 456-9003,pcurt@emphotonics.com,"New enhancements to mobile computers including smaller sensors, displays and powerful processors have made them much more attractive for the battlefield, not only as wearable systems for soldiers, but also unattended ground sensors a warfighter can leave behind for situational awareness. Unfortunately, while the technologies for hands-free interfacing have improved greatly, the challenge of limiting power and weight still exist. The latest generation of mobile processors enables smartphones that can remain idle for days, or operate for an entire trans-continental flight under heavy-use. These advancements have mainly been achieved with low-power-by-design approaches which allow processors to consume less energy when not in use. Unfortunately, scenarios requiring persistent use, such as an unattended ground sensor or providing situational awareness to a soldiers head-mounted display are considered heavy-use and the feasibility of mobile processors for extended mission times is severely diminished. In order to realize the full potential of these processors under extended mission times, the Army needs more performance-power flexibility than simply a binary in-use/not-in-use state. New hardware and software approaches are needed to enable a continuum of tunable performance-power ratios. We propose implementing an OpenMP-like library to enable software and hardware control to achieve this level of power-aware programming."
Satellite Optical Backplane,FA9453-13-C-0013,DOD,DOD,SBIR,2013,2,749982.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CTO,(302) 456-9003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,Ahmed Sharkawy,VP of Photonics,(302) 456-9003,sharkawy@emphotonics.com,"ABSTRACT: there is a clear need for a radically new interconnect architecture that minimizes the routing delay through the backplane to enable increased performance, reduced costs, and faster time to market. To this end, we propose the development of a space compatible optically interconnected backplane with reconfigurable routing fabric. By removing the electrical interconnections between logic blocks, data can be quickly and efficiently routed across the backplane. Such a novel design will remove the routing bottleneck associated with existing architectures and enable the rapid development of high data rate optical backplane for space communication systems. The use of a wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM)-based optical backplane communication system allows for better utilization of the spectral bandwidth resources available to the system. Along these lines, WDM systems have been proposed using many kinds of technology such as: planar light-wave-circuit (PLC)-based array waveguide gratings (AWG) and fiber gratings. However, such technologies typically have sizes on the order of centimeters, in order to support a large number of sufficiently spaced wavelength channels. Alternatively, a radical new WDM architecture that is Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) compatible with miniaturized commercial applications, avionic applications, and satellite and place platforms is urgently needed. BENEFIT: The ability to integrate photonic functions into a chip to reduce overall chip size will enable the development of next generation photonic integrated circuits and will advance research in various DoD areas including; physics, materials, devices and photonic integrated circuits, processing and chip architecture particularly for Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR), National Missile defense (NMD) and communication mission areas. Realization of a reconfigurable optically interconnected chip would meet the requirements for the majority of the DoD programs; including all optical switching on a chip, multistage tunable wavelength converters and multiplexers, all optical push-pull converters, compact beamsteering, very fine pointing, tracking, and stabilization control; and ultra-lightweight antennas and eventually pave the path towards an optically interconnected routing chip."
Advanced Spectrally Selective Materials for Obscurant Applications,W911SR-13-C-0072,DOD,ARMY,STTR,2013,1,149991.00,"Lumilant, Inc.","51 East Main Street, Suite 203",51 east main street suite 203b,Newark,DE,-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,(302) 456-9003,kelmelis@lumilant.com,Ahmed S. Sharkawy,CTO,(302) 456-9003,sharkawy@lumilant.com,"As infrared (IR) electo-optical sensors improve in both availability and quality a strong need exists to have comparable improvements in the performance of military obscurants within the IR band. Conventional approaches for creating effective IR obscurants have relied primarily on shaped metal particles with high aspect ratios (e.g. rods, flakes). While efficient it is difficult to create very wideband or spectrally complex responses when using surface plasmon based metal particles. In this effort we will take a completely different approach towards the design of IR based obscurants. Instead of using metal particles we intend to explore the development of all dielectric obscurants that exploit the properties of photonic crystals with integrated nanocavities. We believe this approach can create highly reflective obscurant particles within an entire IR band. Moreover, by introducing defect modes we will show that it is possible to create single or multiple transparent windows within a wideband obscurant band. The all dielectric approach is also amenable to current nanofabrication methods as well as scalable nano-imprinting techniques that can be used to fabricate large quantities of obscurant at a reasonable cost."
Silicon Receiver for Millimeter Wave Distributed Aperture Imager with Optical Upconversion,W15P7T-12-C-5010,DOD,DOD,SBIR,2012,1,149722.00,Phase Sensitive Innovations,51 East Main Street,Suite 201,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,Chief Executive Officer,(302) 456-9003,kelmelis@phasesensitiveinc.com,Richard Martin,Chief Operating Officer,(302) 456-9003,martin@phasesensitiveinc.com,"In this SBIR effort we will design (Phase I) and demonstrate (Phase II) an integrated silicon electronic-photonic upconversion receiver that when used with our photonic backend will allow for a highly sensitive, real-time, and economical millimeter wave (mmW) imaging system. The development of this chip leverages recent progress in CMOS and SiGe HBT high speed analog circuit design and integrates it monolithically with emerging photonic technology. The end result will greatly reduce the SWaP, cost, and complexity of the system while increasing reliability and performance which in turn will open up new market segments for the technology. In Phase I, we analyze the design requirements and design suitable silicon-photonic receiver ICs. In the Phase I Option, we will fabricate and test the designs by leveraging our in house millimeter wave imaging system optical processors and high speed electro-optic phase modulators that have demonstrated record broad band (DC to>220 GHz) performance. In Phase II we will build an imager using our state-of-the-art modulator technology and optical processors. We will also further simplify the design by integrating the optical phase modulator on the silicon substrate thereby creating a single chip mmW receiver with an optical output."
Silicon Receiver for Millimeter Wave Distributed Aperture Imager with Optical Upconversion,W911QX-13-C-0006,DOD,DOD,SBIR,2012,2,998514.00,Phase Sensitive Innovations,51 East Main Street,Suite 201,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,Chief Executive Officer,(302) 456-9003,kelmelis@phasesensitiveinc.com,Richard Martin,Chief Operating Officer,(302) 456-9003,martin@phasesensitiveinc.com,"In this Phase II SBIR effort we will dramatically reduce the size, weight, and power requirements of a passive millimeter wave imaging system based on optical upconversion. To this end, we will integrate custom silicon-germanium low noise amplifiers that have been designed to efficiently couple with our high performance lithium niobate upconversion modules. In Phase I we analyzed the design requirements and designed suitable silicon-germanium receiver ICs. In the four month Phase I Option period, we will fabricate the integrated circuits and design and build test substrates. In the first year of Phase II we will test the designs by leveraging our in house millimeter wave imaging system optical processors and high speed electro-optic phase modulators that have demonstrated record broad band (DC to>220 GHz) performance. We will also look to optimize the design and performance of the circuitry based on our measured results. The development of this chip leverages recent progress in SiGe HBT high speed analog circuit design and integrates it monolithically with emerging photonic technology. In the second year of the Phase II contract we will build a 30 channel distributed aperture imager capable of real time video rate imagery using our state-of-the-art modulator technology and optical processors."
A Platform-Independent Framerwork for Efficient Massively Parallel Execution,FA8750-12-C-0148,DOD,OSD,STTR,2012,1,99844.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,(302) 456-9003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,John Humphrey,Senior Engineer,(302) 456-9003,humphrey@emphotonics.com,"Next-generation high-performance computers (HPCs) are built as massively parallel systems where the parallelism exists at many levels. These systems are a collection of nodes all working together. Each node generally contains more than one processor and each processor contains multiple cores. Managing and efficiently utilizing the different parallelism in such a system is a complex task. Further complicating this, we have recently seen the emergence of a new class of processing device, namely numerical co-processors such as the modern Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). GPUs sit as peers to multi-core processors within a node but also have their own programming paradigm. To develop applications that leverage future supercomputers will require utilizing the computational power available in all the devices in a system. To ease this process, EM Photonics proposes the development of tools that allow the programmer to decouple the algorithm they are developing from its underlying implementation on a specific hardware platform. This offers several advantages. First, developers can focus on defining their algorithm without being parallel programming or hardware device experts. The developer does not have to focus on things like memory management or data movement. Second, programs can be quickly adapted to new and future HPC systems as they become available because they are not overwhelmed with hardware specific code. Finally, programs will be efficiently executed through a dynamic scheduler that will protect against workload imbalance that can be modified at runtime without prior knowledge. All this will simplify the development of software for future hybrid HPC systems."
Accelerated Linear Algebra Solvers for Multi-Core GPU-Based Computing Architectures,FA9550-12-C-0036,DOD,USAF,STTR,2012,2,749992.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,(302) 456-9003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,John Humphrey,Director of Computing,(302) 456-9003,humphrey@emphotonics.com,"ABSTRACT: High-performance computing (HPC) programmers and domain experts, such as those in the Air Force's research divisions, develop solvers for a wide variety of application areas such as modeling next generation aircraft and weapons designs and advanced image processing analysis. When developing software for HPC systems, the programmer should not spend the majority of their time optimizing their program. Instead, the programmer should have access to optimized fundamental libraries with which they can more quickly develop solvers in their unique domain. An emerging technology in HPC is vector-based coprocessors optimized for math computations, lead by graphics processing units (GPUs). With so-called hybrid systems consisting of a mix of CPUs and GPUs claiming 3 of the top 4 spots on the Top500 list of supercomputers, it is vital that the supporting software libraries catch up to the hardware. EM Photonics has gained recognition as a leader in the hybrid computing community as producers of the CULA library for accelerated dense linear algebra computations. In our Phase I, we showed that producing scalable linear algebra solvers in the dense and sparse domains is feasible, and in Phase II we intend to vastly broaden the scope of our existing library solutions. BENEFIT: A suite of sparse and dense linear algebra solvers will be particularly useful to the Air Force, especially when given the ability to scale across hybrid/heterogeneous computing clusters. Sparse computations arise from finite element methods and in various areas of the CFD space. The importance of these solution spaces cannot be overstated. The Air Force has many CFD/CSD efforts, especially for analyzing the properties of moving aircraft. Analyzing the fluid flows, aero-acoustic properties, and mechanical characteristics accurately and speedily allows engineers to more quickly turn around designs. Sparse solvers have applications in the entire FEM space, which further expands the applicability of our project to mechanical analysis and computational electromagnetic analysis. Dense solvers arise in scientific computing disciplines such as electromagnetic analysis for radar signatures and communications and system analysis with eigenvalues. Image and signal processing techniques such as beam forming and compression are often done with dense matrix routines. Outside of the Air Force, the commercial space finds these solvers appealing for many of the same reasons. Our users have requested each feature we intend to develop many times over, and while the end applications may differ (e.g., stress and strain on a building, modeling of cell phone antennas, or analysis of airflow through a HVAC system), the techniques employ many of the same underlying mathematics. Moreover, those who purchase clusters or supercomputers often desire as much speed as possible for as little power and space as possible. An optimized and scalable underlying library can reduce power consumption and/or node count considerably."
Ultrafast Hybrid Active Materials and Devices for Compact RF Photonics,FA9550-12-C-0038,DOD,USAF,STTR,2012,2,749998.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,(302) 456-9003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,Ahmed Sharkawy,Vice President of Photonics,(302) 456-9003,sharkawy@emphotonics.com,"ABSTRACT: Optical control of RF-signal transmission presents an attractive avenue for processing and transmitting RF information using various optical components, as opposed to electronic control, where metallic wires/cables are required. On a macroscopic scale, optical fibers offer low transmission losses, and hence are suitable for the distribution of control signals over long distances for large phased arrays and in remotely controlled antenna applications. Additional advantages include light-weight (1/10 the weight of copper wires), compactness, and flexibility making them desirable for airborne and space applications where volume and weight savings are crucial. On the microscopic scale, optical waveguides, switches, high speed modulators, filters, etc. offer an additional reduction of the physical size and weight of the overall RF-System with the advantage of high power handling capability with picosecond timing precision. Optical components for RF-photonic applications such as communication satellites, avionics, optical networks, sensors and phase array radar will require highspeed, high capacity and low power. Such requirements are indeed demanding, stretching the limit of current technology. To address such issues, in the path of developing the next generation of RF-photonic technologies, a key element is a high speed modulator. Due to the nature of crystalline electro-optic materials (LiNbO3, GaAs, InP, etc.) todays commercial electro-optical devices do not perform well above 40 GHz. This limitation can be circumvented by utilizing organic materials unique properties (nonlinearity, electro-activity, conductivity and electro-opticity). Since amorphous polymers do not have lattice mismatch problems, incorporation of organic (polymeric) materials with conventional materials like Si, SiGe, GaAs, InP and GaN should open up multiple possibilities of achieving high-frequency, high-bandwidth applications such as high-capacity optical networks, THz and mmW imaging, wireless communication, phase array radar and antennae, lightweight broadband avionics to name a few. Several RF applications will also benefit from the development of such technology, including high-speed switching and gating of RF signals, the development of optically reconfigurable multifunctional antennas, and high speed EO-modulators. BENEFIT: This proposal focuses on developing revolutionary, ultrafast silicon photonic devices using silicon-organic hybrid technology. Today, all-optical modulators with signal gain at THz bandwidth simply do not exist, and EO modulators with sub-1 Volt bias-free V values do not exist. Practical chip-scale all-optical modulators with THz bandwidth and signal gain could become the basis of ultra-high-speed all-optical logic on-chip. The most notable application for such a capability would be as a path to higher bandwidth logic than is possible with conventional electronic millimeter-wave integrated circuits. Low-power EO modulators could radically alter the design of RF photonic systems, eliminating the need (for instance) to amplify signals coming off of antennas before launching the RF signals onto an optical fiber. The best competing technologies for highly linear analog modulators, based on lithium niobate, use a very mature technology which is unlikely to scale below a couple of volts V at 20 GHz (for example). Our approach offers a path to 2-3 order-of-magnitude improvements in operating voltage, and 4-6 order-of-magnitude improvements in operating power. Very low voltage EO modulators, coupled to sensitive on-chip antennas, may also provide the basis for ultra-sensitive electric field and RF probes, and as components of revolutionary analog-over-fiber systems. The Hochberg laboratory has demonstrated world-record low voltage electro-optic modulators with this approach as bench prototypes, operating at low speeds. And they have shown that their approach can be scaled-down by additional orders of magnitude through the use of advanced lithography and modern electro-optic materials. Their process has the potential to radically change the fundamental tradeoffs in the design of radio frequency and millimeter wave systems, from radars to high speed analog signal processing chips. In addition, this type of device may find wide application in the data communications market, where EO modulators provide the gateway between electronic circuits and optical fibers."
Advanced Long-Range Video Capabilities Using Speckle Imaging Techniques,NNX12CD52P,NASA,NASA,SBIR,2012,1,124955.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,Fernando Ortiz,Principal Investigator,3024569003,ortiz@emphotonics.com,"Flight-testing is a crucial component in NASA's mission to research and develop of new aeronautical concepts, allowing for verification of simulated and wind-tunnel results, and exposing previously unforeseen design problems. Video is an invaluable tool for flight-testing, allowing the collection of a wealth of information; however, collected long-range imagery typically suffers from scintillation, blurring, poor spatial resolution and low contrast.For decades, astronomers have developed effective image processing solutions to the problem of imaging through long stretches of atmosphere. One such image processing technique, Bispectrum Averaging Speckle Imaging, has been proven to compensate for heavy atmospheric effects at both visible and IR wavelengths. The computational requirements, however, made field deployment of a real time solution difficult.In 2007, we accelerated the Speckle algorithm for NASA using a Field Programmable Gate Array. This work demonstrated that the real-time implementation of a complex algorithm such as this one is possible with a hardware platform. Although this implementation could improve imagery under many scenarios, large power requirements due to hardware use limited the scenarios in which the platform could be deployed. Lastly, this work does not contain many of the enhancements that we, in partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Labs have made to the software algorithm since that date.We propose to evolve the previous hardware design by taking advantage of the improvements to manufacturing that have come to industry over the past 3 years. By coupling newer, less-expensive hardware with enhancements and simplifications to the Speckle algorithm, we will also be able to offer a solution that is significantly lower cost and lower power. A new design will vastly increase the capability and feasibility of deployed atmospheric correcting technologies, which will in turn benefit NASA by making flight-testing more safe."
OpenCL-Based Linear Algebra Libraries for High-Performance Computing,NNX12CE39P,NASA,NASA,SBIR,2012,1,124959.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,Business Official,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,Kyle Spagnoli,Principal Investigator,3024569003,spagnoli@emphotonics.com,"Despite its promise, OpenCL adoption is slow, owing to a lack of libraries and tools. Vendors have shown few signs of plans to provide OpenCL libraries, and were they to do so they would likely be incompatible with one another, much as NVIDIA's BLAS (CUDA) is presently not interchangeable with Intel's BLAS (MKL). The unified language and environment of OpenCL allows the community to ensure that the spirit of the language?its interchangeability?is reflected in its library and tools ecosystem. EM Photonics is well positioned to lead this effort; we have strong ties to several hardware manufacturers, to application developers, and we maintain a world-class LAPACK library for NVIDIA GPUs. To begin this process, EM Photonics proposes the development of a set of OpenCL BLAS routines and the framework necessary to allow researchers, developers, and hardware manufactures to integrate platform optimized versions of BLAS libraries. This software will be made open source to encourage community involvement and allow it to continue to evolve with the with future hardware technology. Upon completion of this project, EM Photonics will have developed a complete set of OpenCL BLAS routines. In addition, we will have the framework necessary for their efficient execution that also allows new routines to be added by either EM Photonics or third parties. This package will be released under an open source license to encourage community participation and allow for widespread adoption, and EM Photonics will be its ongoing steward. The commercial success of our CULA product has both opened doors for partnership opportunities and provided us commercialization opportunities that can be further leveraged once this project is complete. Based on this combination of technology, experience, partnerships, and commercial momentum, we are convinced this project will successfully meet our SBIR objectives and continue to flourish beyond."
28GHz-43GHz Nadir/Near-Nadir (~70-90 degrees wrt horizontal) Low Probability of Intercept Radio Frequency Direction Finding/GeoLocation Capability,N68335-12-C-0141,DOD,DOD,SBIR,2012,2,744361.00,"Spectrum Magnetics, LLC",1210 First State Blvd,,Wilmington,DE,-,No,No,No,Jianrong Lin,President,(302) 379-9808,jrlin@spectrum-magnetics.com,Stoyan Stoyanov,Senior research Scientist,(302) 993-1070,stoyan@spectrum-magnetics.com,"In this program, we propose a radio frequency (RF) direction finding sensor for low probability of intercept (LPI) RF radar system. This sensor consists of a dielectric lenses focusing system and an innovative focus plane detector array (FPDA) developed by Spectrum Magnetics, LLC (SM). The focusing system project the RF signal onto its focus plane. A novel FPDA based on emerging spintronic and metamaterials devices, with each element being much smaller than the EM wavelength, accurately detects the diffracted field distribution produced by the lenses. The center of the distribution is related to the direction of the incident waves. The direction can thus be extracted from the position of image of the transmitter in the focus plane and parameters of the focusing lens system."
Phased array three-dimensional beam steering system for millimeter wave sources emitting in the 100-300 GHz region,W31P4Q-11-C-0235,DOD,DOD,SBIR,2011,1,99932.00,Phase Sensitive Innovations,51 East Main Street,Suite 201,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,(302) 456-9003,kelmelis@phasesensitiveinc.com,Christopher A. Schuetz,CTO,(302) 456-9003,schuetz@phasesensitiveinc.com,"Herein, we propose a novel approach to achieving a broadband, phased-array transmitter operating at frequencies from 100-300 GHz. Our approach is based on the concept of optically distributing a pair of locked optical tones to an array of antenna coupled photomixers. Lightweight optical fibers enable the distribution of these optical tones to any arbitrary antenna array geometry with antenna placement being only limited by the physical size of the antenna. Each node of the array will be capable of emitting powers approaching 1mW at 100 GHz and the number of nodes in the array can be easily scaled using bulk optical splitting techniques and optical amplifiers. Phasing of the array is achieved using an array of optical phase modulators, which can be exceedingly fast enabling unprecedented beam slew rates. Our novel optical locking technique generates millimeter-wave tones with 1 Hz linewidths for high purity spectral emission. When combined, this photonically-enabled array will yield scalable, high-fidelity mmW phased array that covers the entire mmW spectrum in a single array."
GPU-Accelerated Sparse Matrix Solvers for Large-Scale Simulations,NNX11CA18C,NASA,NASA,SBIR,2011,2,599951.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,Business Official,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,John Humphrey,Principal Investigator,3024569003,humphrey@emphotonics.com,"At the heart of scientific computing and numerical analysis are linear algebra solvers. In scientific computing, the focus is on the partial differential equations (PDEs) that arise from computational fluid dynamics (CFD), climate modeling, astrophysics, and structural and heat analysis that cannot be solved analytically. Certain problem formulations lead to sparse matrices, in which the majority of matrix elements are zero. Special attention is required when computing on sparse matrices in order to avoid using unrealistic amounts of memory or produce ill-performing software. Such topics have been the subject of considerable research and the limits of CPU-based performance have been reached.Recently, the graphics processing unit (GPU) has emerged as an attractive platform for high performance computing. The modern GPU boasts over 1 TFLOPS performance and as much as 6 GB onboard memory, but harnessing the power can be challenging. A library-based approach is common for HPC, with mostapplications using several libraries to offload well-known tasks. EM Photonics maintains a library of GPU-accelerated dense linear algebra solvers that has over 5000 users. In this project we will extend this library to include a wide range of sparse solvers, including many that have direct relevance to NASA projects."
Linear Algebra Libraries for Massive GPU Clusters,NNX11CF13P,NASA,NASA,SBIR,2011,1,99924.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,Business Official,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,John Humphrey,Principal Investigator,3024569003,humphrey@emphotonics.com,"In an attempt to build more computationally powerful systems and improve the FLOPS/dollar and FLOPS/Watt of high-performance computers (HPCs), we have recently seen the proliferation of GPU-based clusters. Many major vendors are now supporting this technology and such systems are becoming increasingly common everywhere from university research labs to the Top500 supercomputer list. To take advantage of these systems, however, requires understanding a new programming paradigm, namely the ability to program GPUs. In this project, we propose the development of tools to make programming massive GPU clusters transparent to the developer, thus allowing them to access their extreme computational power without significant additional effort. Specifically, we propose the development of dense and sparse linear algebra libraries that are optimized for the underlying GPU hardware but are called by the user from a standard, high-level interface. This work will build off our NASA-funded and commercially-successful CULA libraries, a set of GPU-accelerated, dense linear algebra libraries that run on single GPUs. More recently we have begun adding sparse linear algebra libraries to this package and prototyping their transition to multiple GPUs located in a single node. The proposed effort will involve scaling this technology so it is available on massive GPU clusters, thus making the power of such systems easily accessible to all programmers."
Compressed Sensing for Space-Based High-Definition Video Technologies,NNX11CF89P,NASA,NASA,SBIR,2011,1,99984.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,Business Official,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,Fernando Ortiz,Principal Investigator,3024569003,ortiz@emphotonics.com,"Space-based imaging sensors are important for NASA's mission in both performing scientific measurements and producing literature and documentary cinema. The recent proliferation of high-definition capture devices and displays (HDTV) provide the general public with first-hand human experiences hundreds miles above sea level in brilliant detail. The recent IMAX film ""Hubble,"" which features one of the final space shuttle missions to repair the orbital telescope, is a prime example. The core of current space-based video capture devices consist of digital imaging sensors. Unfortunately, the harsh conditions of space limit the lifespan of all the imaging sensors, in addition to other electronics. Consequently, NASA is seeking innovative technologies for space-based applications to extend the operational life of these systems to three years or more. In this SBIR project, we propose to investigate robust image reconstruction based on novel signal processing techniques in the vein of compressed sensing (CS) to mitigate pixel damage to the point that is imperceptible by the human eye. Specifically, this proposal is a response to the solicitation for radiation-hardened programmable encoding technology as an identified mid-term NASA solution. CS is a recently introduced novel framework that goes against the traditional data acquisition paradigm. CS demonstrates that a sparse, or compressible, signal can be acquired using a low rate acquisition process that projects the signal onto a small set of vectors incoherent with the sparsity basis. This approach is divided into encoder and decoder stages. We propose performing the encoding in-line with acquisition using a low-SWaP, radiation-tolerant FPGA. The robust reconstruction will occur back on Earth where high-performance GPU-accelerated workstations can be used. A benefit of our solution is that it does not require a modification to the original imaging system."
Scalable Aero-Load and Aero-Elasticity Solvers for Massively Parallel Heterogeneous Computing Architectures,FA9550-11-C-0090,DOD,USAF,STTR,2011,1,99973.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric J. Kelmelis,CEO,(302) 456-9003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,John R. Humphrey,Senior Engineer,(302) 456-9003,humphrey@emphotonics.com,"ABSTRACT: We propose to apply modern massively multicore processors to a key problem area of interest to the Air Force: multiphysics computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and computational structural dynamics (CSD) solvers. The capabilities of the CPU to solve these problems have been increasing steadily, but the CPU is still a general-purpose device designed to run diverse applications such as word processors and internet browsers - it is not a high performance device for scientific computing! One of the emerging technologies in high-performance computing (HPC) are graphics processing units (GPUs); driven by market leader NVIDIA, the GPU has become a highly respected platform for computing. Among the codes under consideration for this project are: CREATE-Kestrel, NSU3D, AVUS/Cobalt, and USM3D. Such codes are widely used at both the Air Force and in the commercial and government spaces as well. In this project, we will apply our expertise in the GPU computing field to a key set of multiphysics solvers in the CFD/CSD space for aerodynamic and aero-elastic analysis. The results will be a manyfold improvement in speed, and a reduction in cost as less hardware will be required to solve any given problem. BENEFIT: At the end of Phase II, the solvers will be deployable at the Air Force immediately and at other centers that use the same code. Expected customers are the Navy, NASA, Boeing, Lockheed, and Raytheon. Customer (Non-AF) revenue will support ongoing enhancements and upgrades in the Phase III period. This is especially true in the case of codes from the CREATE (Kestrel, Helios, etc) program, which are owned by the Department of Defense and yet expected to be used widely."
Heterogeneous Integration of Nanomembrane Based Photonic/Electronic Signal Processing Modules,FA9550-11-C-0021,DOD,USAF,STTR,2011,2,749998.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,(302) 456-9003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,Ahmed Sharkawy,"Director, Photonic Applications",(302) 456-9003,sharkawy@emphotonics.com,"ABSTRACT: Crystalline semiconductor nanomembranes (NMs) possess the electronic/photonic properties of bulk material, although they are flexible, deformable, and conformable. Semiconductor nanomembranes offer unique opportunities for novel active/ passive electronic, and photonic devices suitable for vertically stacked high-density photonic/electronic integration. Silicon-on-insulator substrates. SOI (SOI) provides, beyond its application in the Si industry, the ultimate platform for exploring novel science and technological advancements in this class of nanomaterial. Si-NM presents a viable crossover between silicon electronics/photonics and high-speed nanoelectronics in Si. In addition, NM technology provides the ability to stack device layers in 3D for high-density integration. However successful nanophotonic integration of various photonic devices fabricated in different material platforms must be CMOS compatible. This in particular has proven to be challenging in the case of integration of III-V based devices with their Si or polymer counterparts. We propose to use nanomembrane enabled heterogeneous integration technology to fabricate active and passive optoelectronic devices that are integrated on a variety of planar structures. Our approach takes advantage of the well established CMOS technology to meet the challenges for next generation photonics, microprocessors and computing systems as described by the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors. BENEFIT: The proposed technology will enable the possibilities to develop adaptive intelligent photonics and electronics devices and systems that are flexible, deformable, and conformable. Thus all manner of Si & III-V devices can be fabricated, and high-volume manufacturing is feasible. Of particular interest to various DoD programs are innovative approaches for the development of 1) flexible intelligent photonics (FIP): adaptive frequency selective photonic components, modulators, mechano-activated adaptive optics, 3D photonic crystals and membrane waveguides; 2) strain engineered ultrasensitive, high-speed Si-NM/GeNM photodetectors; 3) Si-membrane-based light sources; 4) high-speed flexible, conformal, and/or 3-D electronics; 5) hybrid-orientation technology (HOT): fast flexible CMOS with integration on other hosts; 6) flexible conformal photovoltaics - integrated personal portable power sources; or 7) Si-membrane based thermoelectric materials. Adaptive intelligent photonic/electronic systems, improved detectors and imagers, light sources, conformal electronics and power sources, and very fast flexible electronics would all be of great value to the DoD, significantly advancing DoD capabilities, with potential impacts in the areas of energy-efficient ultra-compact dynamic intelligent information collection, high-capacity data networks, and adaptive rapid-response systems. These areas were identified by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) among 13 critical technologies needed for realization of integrated Microsystems. Including System-on-a-Chip (SoC). AFRL also identified the most stringent needs for future space system microprocessors occur from intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. Therefore, both DoD space and missile programs and their research laboratories will benefit from the development of adaptive intelligent photonics and electronics nanomembrane based devices, designed and realized under the current program."
Satellite Optical Backplane,FA9453-11-M-0109,DOD,DOD,SBIR,2011,1,99995.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,(302) 456-9003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,Ahmed Sharkawy,Director of Photonic Applications,(302) 456-9003,sharkawy@emphotonics.com,"ABSTRACT: Optical interconnects are the natural choice for interconnecting different chips when current interconnect technologies cannot fulfill current and future system requirements. Examples of optical interconnect architectures are free-space multistage interconnect, optical fiber interconnect, and thin film polymer waveguide-based optical interconnect. While all these architectures were successfully capable of satisfying the requirements for an optically interconnected system, the size they occupy is considerably large to be integrated on a chip-level optical system, especially with the minimum feature size of chip shrinking one year after the other. Nano-scale optical interconnects are now needed to satisfy future interconnect needs, since they will not only meet system requirements but will also occupy a size comparable to the interconnected chips. Typical Avionics Networks Requirements include; Many Different I/O Types,- RF, Analog, Digital, Discrete & Timing Strobes,- EMI Problems in Mixed Signal Environment, Many Different Network Media / Connectors Coaxial, TSP, Copper Cable, F/O, Backplane Traces/Vias, Many High Bandwidth/High Frequency Channels Avionics Modules are Connector Bound, Still Desire 2-Level Line-Replaceable Modules, Sensors Located Throughout Airframe, Coaxial Cable Has High Signal Losses/Distortion, Many Pt-to-Pt Cables Reduce Manufacturing Repeatability, Decrease Reliability/Effective Diagnostics. What is needed is a common network that can satisfy all connectivity requirements of an avionics suite, single channel, and single connector. Chip-Scale optical switching fabric can provide this universal avionics network if specific component, cost & packaging challenges can be overcome! BENEFIT: We intend to market a product based on the final device as part of the STTR program. We anticipate our initial market to be government and military applications but we will secondarily bring the final product to the commercial market. There are many groups that will benefit from this technology including the DoD, satellite TV and radio broadcasters, and private space companies. This platform will be useful in military applications ranging from communications to missile guidance to long-range imaging. Additionally, we believe that this device will convince more people to utilize the proposed chip-scale switch fabric in their designs, as this novel platform will greatly improve performance and open the door for many new applications."
Narrowband Perfect Absorber using Metamaterials,W911NF-11-C-0257,DOD,CBD,SBIR,2011,1,149955.00,"Lumilant, Inc.","51 East Main Street, Suite 203",51 east main street suite 203b,Newark,DE,-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,(302) 456-9003,kelmelis@lumilant.com,Ahmed Sharkawy,CTO,(302) 456-9003,sharkawy.ahmed@gmail.com,"Hyperspectral imaging systems acquire the spatial and spectral information of the image scene simultaneously, and thus find important applications in remote sensing, military surveillance, and target identification. Most contemporary hyperspectral imaging systems operate at UV/VIS/NIR (ultra violet/visible/near infrared) spectrums. However, in many cases, especially in military applications, (hyper)-spectral sensing in the longer wavelengths range, such as middle wavelength IR (MWIR) or long wavelength IR (LWIR) spectrums, is of more interest. This is because long wavelengths electro-magnetic (EM) waves suffer less loss when penetrating through the contaminated atmospheric environment (fog, sand storm, dust, etc) of the battlefield. Moreover, presently there is a drive for putting these imaging systems on a wide range of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) where their use depends on the characteristics of the many different surveillance and reconnaissance applications. The main discriminators are the operational flight duration and range, the altitude, and the payload capabilities. These features determine the feasible design of the sensor systems to be used on the platform."
Ultrafast Hybrid Active Materials and Devices for Compact RF Photonics,FA9550-10-C-0113,DOD,USAF,STTR,2010,1,99987.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,Ahmed Sharkawy,"Director, Photonic Applications",3024569003,sharkawy@emphotonics.com,"Optical components for RF-photonic applications such as communication satellites, avionics, optical networks, sensors and phase array radar will require high speed, high capacity and low power. Due to the nature of crystalline electro-optic materials (LiNbO3, GaAs, InP, etc.) today's commercial electro-optical devices do not perform well above 40 GHz. This limitation can be circumvented by utilizing organic materials unique properties (Nonlinearity, electro-activity, conductivity and electro-opticity). Since amorphous polymers do not have lattice mismatch problems, incorporation of organic (polymeric) materials with conventional materials like Si, SiGe, GaAs, InP and GaN should open up multiple possibilities of achieving high-frequency, high-bandwidth applications such as high-capacity optical networks, THz and mmW imaging, wireless communication, phase array radar and antennae, lightweight broadband avionics etc. Several RF applications will also benefit from the development of such technology, including high-speed switching and gating of RF signals, the development of optically reconfigurable multifunctional antennas, and high speed EO-modulators. BENEFIT: it is highly desirable to consolidate/combine as many functions as possible into single system footprints, which leads to the realization of mutli-functional systems. However, performing such functions through a traditional wide band RF system remains a formidable challenge. A case in point is the emergence of multi-functional RF apertures, wherein communications, RADAR, electronic warfare, and imaging are all performed through a common RF radiating aperture. Another application of optical up-conversion to synthetic aperture imaging lies in the direct processing of correlator data using optical techniques. EM Photonics and the University of Delaware, have demonstrated millimeter-wave synthetic aperture imaging implemented via a carrier-suppressed optical approach .Using the smaller optical wavelengths, Fourier transform operations may be carried out using a simple small optical le ns and a photodetector array"
Silicon-Based Nanomembrane Photonic and Electronic Components,FA9550-10-C-0005,DOD,USAF,STTR,2010,1,99985.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,Ahmed Sharkawy,Director of Photonic Applications,3024569003,sharkawy@emphotonics.com,"This proposal deals with advanced design architectures for realizing silicon-based reconfigurable and stackable photonic analog signal processing engines supported on flexible or flat substrates using crystalline Si-based nanomembrane technology. Silicon nanomembranes are single crystals of Si that have been released from SOI substrates and redeposited on foreign flexible or flat substrates enabling the best features of different materials. Although they are in fact single crystals and posses the electronic properties of bulk silicon, they are flexible, deformable, and conformable. Fabrication of 3D structures is also possible by multiple transfers and stacking of nanomembranes opening a wide variety of possible device designs and applications. We propose reconfigurable, stackable, nanophotonic silicon based optical processing units that can be fabricated with silicon nanomembrane technology along with the necessary optical routing network architectures. Unit cell arrays will perform basic optical processing functionalities including filtering, switching, modulation and sensing and flat or flexible foreign substrates. BENEFIT: Signal filtering, multi-Gbit/s A/D converters, frequency converters and mixers, signal correlators, and beam formers for phased arrays, modulator, sensor, switches, low loss dielectric waveguides, flexible intelligent photonics, adaptive frequency selective photonics components"
Accelerated Linear Algebra Solvers for Multi-Core GPU-Based Computing Architectures,FA9550-10-C-0126,DOD,USAF,STTR,2010,1,99970.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,John Humphrey,Senior Engineer,3024569003,humphrey@emphotonics.com,"Many large-scale numerical simulations can be broken down into common mathematical routines. While the applications may differ, they often need to perform standard functions such as system solves, Fourier transforms, or eigenvalue calculations. Consequently, producing fast, efficient implementations of these methods will benefit a broad range of Air Force applications. Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) have emerged as an attractive platform to perform complex numerical computations. Their FLOPS/watt and FLOPS/dollar figures are far below competing alternatives. In previous work, EM Photonics has implemented dense matrix solvers using a hybrid GPU/multicore microprocessor approach, which has resulted in a product we have released to the public called CULA. This has shown the ability to significantly outperform either platform when used independently. In this project, we will develop a complimentary library focused on performing routines on sparse matrices and extend both families of solvers to work in multi-GPU environments. The solver package developed in this project with will be applicable to a wide range of applications from finite element analysis to computational fluid dynamics to image processing while being scalable from a single desktop PC to large, GPU-based high-performance computing systems. BENEFIT: A suite of sparse and dense linear algebra solvers will be particularly useful to air force. Sparse computations arise from finite element methods and in various areas of the CFD space. The importance of these solution spaces cannot be overstated. The Air Force has many CFD efforts, especially related to space missions. Analyzing the fluid flows, aero-acoustic properties, and mechanical characteristics accurately and speedily allows engineers to more quickly turn around designs. Since sparse solvers have applications in the entire FEM space, that further expands the applicability of our project to mechanical analysis and computational electromagnetic analysis. Dense solvers arise in scientific computing disciplines such as electromagnetic analysis for radar signatures and communications and system analysis with eigenvalues. Also image and signal processing techniques such as beam forming and compression are often done with dense matrix routines. Using GPUs, users are able to build single workstations with an excess of four teraFLOPS of computational power as well as create large, high-performance computing systems that are efficient in terms of both cost and power. By leveraging libraries such as the ones we will develop for this project, the user is shielded from the intricacies of GPU programming while still able to access their computational performance."
GPU-Accelerated Sparse Matrix Solvers for Large-Scale Simulations,NNX10CC35P,NASA,NASA,SBIR,2010,1,99961.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,Business Official,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,John Humphrey,Principal Investigator,3024569003,humphrey@emphotonics.com,"Many large-scale numerical simulations can be broken down into common mathematical routines. While the applications may differ, the need to perform functions such as matrix solves, Fourier transforms, or eigenvalue analysis routinely arise. Consequently, targeting fast, efficient implementations of these methods will benefit a large number of applications. Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) are emerging as an attractive platform to perform these types of simulations. There FLOPS/Watt and FLOPS/dollar figures are far below competing alternatives. In previous work, EM Photonics has implemented dense matrix solvers using a hybrid GPU/multicore microprocessor approach. This has shown the ability to significantly outperform either platform when used independently. In this project, we will develop a complimentary library focused on performing routines on sparse matrices. This will be extremely valuable to a wide set of users including those doing finite-element analysis and computational fluid dynamics. Using GPUs, users are able to build single workstations with an excess of four teraFLOPS of computational power as well as create large, high-performance computing systems that are efficient in terms of both cost and power. By leveraging libraries such as the ones we will develop for this project, the user is shielded from the intricacies of GPU programming while still able to access their computational performance."
Integrated Chip Optical CDMA for Transport Layer Security,N68335-10-C-0492,DOD,NAVY,SBIR,2010,1,79954.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,Ahmed Sharkawy,Director of Photonic Appl,3024569003,sharkawy@emphotonics.com,"Optical CDMA is most suitable to be applied to high speed LAN to achieve contention-free, zero delay access, where traffic tends to be bursty rather than continuous. Channel assignment is much easier with CDMA. CDMA isolates irregular channels so that they do not influence other channels, CDMA can be efficiently used in conjunction with TDMA and WDMA on multimedia communication networks where multiple services with different traffic requirements are to be integrated."
GPU-Based High-Performance Computing for Accelerated Design and Analysis,W31P4Q-11-C-0007,DOD,DOD,SBIR,2010,2,749973.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,(302) 456-9003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,John Humphrey,Principal Investigator,(302) 456-9003,humphrey@emphotonics.com,"Commodity graphics processing units (GPUs) offer tremendous computational throughput for relatively little cost. They have been shown to outperform microprocessors in the important metrics of FLOPS/dollar, FLOPS/Watt, and FLOPS/unit space and have already been applied to a wide range of numerically intense problems. In Phase I of this project, we demonstrated their potential to enhance complex CFD simulations. Specifically, using modeling and simulation to predict UAV operation as they interact with Naval vessels in takeoff and landing scenarios; which is important from both a cost-savings and a life-savings standpoint. By the end of Phase II, we will have a complete solver that allows for the modeling of the dynamic interface (DI) between very large and very small objects as their airwakes interact. The result will be a tool for the rapid and accurate simulations analysis of UAVs in near-ship environments the we will deploy to NAVAIR to assist in pilot training, operational mission identification, and UAV autopilot development."
Enhanced Realtime Millimeter Wave Imaging Using Hardware Acceleration- CPP,N00014-10-C-0183,DOD,NAVY,SBIR,2010,2,749968.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,Chief Executive Officer,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,Petersen Curt,Senior Engineer,3024569003,pcurt@emphotonics.com,"The ultimate goal of this Commercialization Pilot Program (CPP) effort is to design, build, and integrate flight-ready custom electronics for a 220-channel MMW distributed-aperture imager. This work bases on a previous SBIR project, in which we constructed a single-channel prototype of the phase control electronics in a laboratory (breadboard) environment. To enable control of a 220-channel system ready for flight testing, the prototype functionality must not only be appropriately scaled, but also must sufficiently address size, weight, power, and operational environment considerations. In addition, two more areas of the electronics must be provided: PIN switching control electronics, and an image acquisition system. By the end of this CPP effort, we will have integrated our custom control electronics with PSI''s distributed-aperture millimeter-wave imaging system. Specifically, we will leverage the power of reconfigurable commodity hardware to replace the current control system, which is not appropriate for airframe deployment."
Lossless Non-Blocking Single-Mode Fiber Optic Wavelength Router,N68335-10-C-0290,DOD,NAVY,SBIR,2010,1,79984.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,Ahmed Sharkawy,"Director, Photonic Applic",3024569003,sharkawy@emphotonics.com,In this Phase I SBIR effort we will investigate the feasibility of design and optimization of an optically interconnected optical router using a photonic crystal-based switching fabric and by carefully engineering the spatial and temporal properties of such periodic structures. We will take multiple design parameters into account to optimize the optical backplane to account for variations in operational conditions.
High Efficiency Stretchable (Highly Conformable) Photovoltaics for Expeditionary Forces,N00014-09-M-0295,DOD,NAVY,STTR,2009,1,69998.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,3024569003,kelmelis@emphtonics.com,Ozgenc Ebil,Senior Scientist,3024569003,ozgenc.ebil@gmail.com,"The next generation of photovoltaic systems need to meet both physical (shape, size, packaging, durability) and electronic (efficiency, stability) requirements of applications that are not possible to implement today. One of these requirements is to be able to stretch electronic devices without sacrificing the performance and lifetime. Commercially available photovoltaics that incorporate thin semiconductor films on plastic or thin metal substrates are sufficiently flexible and lightweight to be rolled up for easy transport. Unrolled, the photovoltaic systems are planar and not highly deformable. We propose a design and fabrication method for the manufacturing of stretchable and flexible photovoltaic system based on Cu(InGa)Se2 technology with higher efficiencies than silicon based counterparts. Cu(InGa)Se2 based solar cells have often been touted as being among the most promising of solar cell technologies for cost effective power generation. This is partly due to the advantages of thin films for low cost, high rate semiconductor deposition over large areas using layers only a few microns thick and for fabrication of monolithically interconnected modules. Our design is based on fabrication of Cu(InGa)Se2 thin-films on stretchable substrates using commercially available deposition tools."
GPU-Based CFD Analysis for Modeling Complex UAV Flight Scenarios,W31P4Q-09-C-0207,DOD,DARPA,SBIR,2009,1,98952.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,Michael Bodnar,Senior Engineer,3024569003,bodnar@emphotonics.com,"Recent advances in computing have produced special-purpose hardware comprised of vector processors streamlined for high-performance computations. Development of these devices, such as graphics processing units (GPUs) and the Cell Broadband Engine (Cell Processor), has been advanced by the videogame industry. In an effort to increase flexibility and enter new markets, vendors have increased platform usability and opened up underlying hardware constructs to general computing uses. In this project, we focus on leveraging the computational power of commodity graphics hardware to develop a high-performance computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tool capable of rapidly and accurately modeling aircraft interaction with naval vessels, or the dynamic interface (DI). This project is divided into two areas: implementation of a CFD formulation able to simulate complex DI scenarios on programmable graphics technology, and the development of an integration framework that will tune the system specifically for DI problems. Phase I consists of building a prototype flow solver in hardware, and also developing the plan for integration to be carried out during Phase II. This plan will describe an overset grid scheme to enable moving body simulation, coupled flight dynamics with control feedback for real-time flight simulations, and system scalability to increase problem size and computational throughput."
Hardware Accelerated Super Resolution for MDA Interceptors,W9113M-09-C-0016,DOD,MDA,SBIR,2009,2,999970.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,Fernando Ortiz,Project Manager,3024569003,ortiz@emphotonics.com,"MDA is currently developing advanced interceptor technology for its BMDS. High-quality imagery is crucial to this effort for several purposes, including navigation, false-alarm/decoy identification, and estimation of position and speed of potential targets. Although high-resolution imaging systems are readily available, they require (1) power-hungry CMOS arrays (or FPAs) and (2) large-aperture optics, which are heavy, expensive and are not compatible with the aerodynamic profile of high-speed interceptors. Fortunately, signal processing methods have been developed that produce high-resolution images using low-resolution equipment. This family of algorithms is known as super-resolution. Although super-resolution algorithms have been studied extensively by the research community, their implementation and deployment have been limited due to high computational cost and the inability to work in real-time for realistic applications. In the Phase I portion of this project, we demonstrated a prototype device showing accelerated processing with advanced super-resolution techniques. In Phase II, we propose extending the functionality of this prototype and modifying its form factor to integrate with current and future missile interceptors. This same technology will also benefit target tracking and kill assessment from ground, sea, and air-based assets."
Novel Photonic RF Spectrometer,NNX09CD91P,NASA,NASA,SBIR,2009,1,99998.00,"Spectrum Magnetics, LLC",1210 First State Blvd,,Wilmington,DE,-,No,No,No,Jianrong Lin,President,3023799808,jrlin@spectrum-magnetics.com,Hao Zhu,Principal Investigator,3022921612,hzhu@spectrum-magnetics.com,"Leveraging on recent breakthroughs in broadband photonic devices and components for RF and microwave applications, SML proposes a new type of broadband microwave spectrometer with performance and affordability that were not attainable before. The photonic microwave spectrometer overcomes the constrains associated with microwave electronics, linearly and simultaneously offering 6-18 GHz (potentially up to 100 GHz) bandwidth, high resolution of sub-hundred MHz, and huge numbers of channels (hundreds to 1024 channels). The devices and components used in the proposed novel spectrometer are commercial off-the-shelf. Our miniature low cost design is well suited for the spectrum monitor and sensor requirement for a wide range of NASA, military and commercial applications. Our unconventional flight qualifiable approach eliminates the need for frequency down-converter, moving components, local oscillator, and has intrinsically temperature independent operation. In Phase I, SML will test an evaluation prototype to demonstrate the proposed novel RF/microwave spectrometer based on high performance components and build a system model to simulate and verify spectrometer's design and performance."
Satellite Structures with Engineered or Variable Electomagnetic Properties,FA9453-09-C-0024,DOD,USAF,SBIR,2009,2,739592.00,"Spectrum Magnetics, LLC",1210 First State Blvd,,Wilmington,DE,-,No,No,No,Jianrong Lin,President,3023799808,spectrum_magnetics@comcast.net,Stoyan Stoyanov,Senior Scientist,3026909313,stoyan_sml@comcast.net,"A novel methodology is proposed for the integration of nanomaterials into structural composite materials, to engineer multi-spectrum (microwave, IR, and optical) electromagnetic properties. The process is general and a wide range of EM properties can be achieved, such as absorption, reflection, switchable properties, etc. It is also possible to engineer multiple properties in the same structure by selecting appropriate fillers and their locations in the structural materials. This proposal is based on our successful concept demonstration in Phase I where we found structural integrity as well as multifunction EM properties of microwave absorption and band stop filter. BENEFITS: This proposed methodology enables the integration of nanomaterials into continuous fiber structural composite materials for multifunctional characteristics. The use of nanoparticles of various forms (spheres, flakes, fibers etc) and thin films provides a wide range of property characteristics that can be integrated into a typical composite structure. This will enable application of multifunctional structures from microwave to UV regimes and provide the materials/structural designer with the necessary tools for platform implementation. Potential applications are primarily driven by Aerospace (military and commercial) and Defense markets."
Hardware Accelerated Super Resolution for MDA Interceptors,W9113M-08-C-0079,DOD,MDA,SBIR,2008,1,99981.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,Fernando Ortiz,Program Manager,3024569003,ortiz@emphotonics.com,"MDA is currently developing advanced interceptors for its BMDS. Imaging technology is crucial to this effort for several purposes, including navigation, false-alarm/decoy identification, and estimation of position and speed of potential targets. Although high-resolution imaging systems are readily available, these require (1) power-hungry CMOS arrays (or FPAs) and (2) large-aperture optics, which are heavy, expensive and may not be compatible with the aerodynamic profile of high-speed interceptors. Fortunately, signal processing methods have been developed that enable high-resolution image-capture using low-resolution equipment exclusively, a family of algorithms know as super-resolution. Although super-resolution algorithms have been studied extensively by the research community, their implementation and deployment have been limited due to high computational cost and the inability to work in real-time in realistic applications. We propose the acceleration of super resolution routines using readily available hardware; in particular, an FPGA platform will be utilized given its compatibility with the power/size/cost requirements of missile interceptors."
Biologically Inspired Reconfigurable Computer for High-speed Object Avoidance in Small UAVs,N00014-08-M-0200,DOD,NAVY,SBIR,2008,1,69931.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,Fernando Ortiz,Project Manager,3024569003,ortiz@emphotonics.com,"For this project, we plan to collaborate with researchers in the neuroscience department at the University of Delaware to develop an FPGA-based embedded computer, inspired in the brains small vertebrates (fish). The mechanisms of object detection and avoidance in fish have been extensively studied by our Delaware collaborators. The midbrain optic tectum is a biological multimodal navigation controller capable of receiving input from all senses that convey spatial information, including vision, audition, touch, and lateral-line (water current sensing in fish). Unfortunately, the complexity of these models makes them too slow for real-time implementation. These simulations are run offline in state-of-the-art desktop computers, presenting a gap between the application and the target platform: a low-power embedded device. EM Photonics has expertise in development of high-performance computers based on commodity platforms such as graphic cards (GPUs) and FPGAs. FPGAs offer (1) high computational power, low power consumption and small footprint (in line with typical UAV constraints), and (2) the ability to implement massively-parallel computational architectures, which can be leveraged to closely emulate biological systems. Combining UD's brain modeling algorithms and the power of FPGAs this computer will enable navigation in complex environments, and further types of UAV onboard processing in future applications."
Enhancing FPGA Performance Through Integrated Optical Interconnects,FA9550-08-C-0019,DOD,USAF,STTR,2008,2,749997.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,Ahmed Sharkawy,Director Of Photonic Applications,3024569003,sharkawy@emphotonics.com,"FPGAs have attracted a great deal of attention over the past decade because of their performance, scalability, and cost relative to traditional hardware platforms. However, one of the most significant disadvantages of FPGAs is based on the underlying architecture on which they are built. Specifically, routing delay through the chip is one of the largest bottlenecks in developing FPGA-based applications. Routing delay typically accounts for at least 50% of the overall system delay and can easily account for 80-95% of the delay. In fact, as processes are refined and feature sizes shrink, routing delay is expected to increase as logic gates will become faster and will be forced to wait for data inputs to arrive. Thus, there is a clear need for a radically new FPGA architecture that minimizes the routing delay through the chip to enable increased performance, reduced costs, and faster time to market. To this end, we propose the development of an optically switched FPGA. By removing the electrical interconnections between logic blocks, data can be quickly and efficiently routed across the FPGA. Such a novel design will eliminate the routing bottleneck associated with existing FPGA architectures and enable the rapid development of high performance FPGA systems."
Accelerated Numerical Processing API Based on GPU Technology,NNX08CA06C,NASA,NASA,SBIR,2008,2,599942.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,Business Official,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,John Humphrey,Principal Investigator,3024569003,humphrey@emphotonics.com,"The recent performance increases in graphics processing units (GPUs) have made graphics cards an attractive platform for implementing computationally intense applications. With their numerous parallel computational pipelines and SIMD architecture, modern GPUs can outperform high-end microprocessors by one to three orders of magnitude, depending on the problem. Most work to date at EM Photonics and elsewhere has focused on accelerating specific applications by porting core engines onto the GPU. In this project, we propose the development of general purpose computational libraries capable of solving numerous core numerical functions on commodity graphics cards. These solvers will be based on accepted, industry-standard interfaces and will be easy to integrate with current and future applications. The result will be a GPU-based numerical coprocessor capable accelerating a wide range of computationally intense functions, thereby reducing processing times in applications where numerical computations are the primary bottleneck."
Accelerated Numerical Processing API Based on GPU Technology,NNX07CA23P,NASA,NASA,SBIR,2007,1,99996.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric J. Kelmelis,Business Official,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,John A. Humphrey,Principal Investigator,3024569003,humphrey@emphotonics.com,"The recent performance increases in graphics processing units (GPUs) have made graphics cards an attractive platform for implementing computationally intense applications. With their numerous parallel computational pipelines and SIMD architecture, modern GPUs can outperform high-end microprocessors by one to three orders of magnitude, depending on the problem. Most work to date at EM Photonics and elsewhere has focused on accelerating specific applications by porting core engines onto the GPU. In this project, we propose the development of general purpose computational libraries capable of solving numerous core numerical functions on commodity graphics cards. These solvers will be based on accepted, industry-standard interfaces and will be easy to integrate with current and future applications. The result will be a GPU-based numerical coprocessor capable accelerating a wide range of computationally intense functions, thereby reducing processing times in applications where numerical computations are the primary bottleneck."
Processor for Real-Time Atmospheric Compensation in Long-Range Imaging,NNK07MA09C,NASA,NASA,SBIR,2007,2,599357.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric B. Kelmelis,Business Official,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,James L. Durbano,Principal Investigator,3024569003,durbano@emphotonics.com,"Long-range imaging is a critical component to many NASA applications including range surveillance, launch tracking, and astronomical observation. However, significant degradation occurs when imaging through the Earth's atmosphere. The subsequent effects of poor image quality range from inconvenient to dangerous depending on the application. In Phase I, EM Photonics developed a prototype solver based on field-programmable gate array (FPGA) technology capable of enhancing long-range images and videos by compensating for atmosphere induced distortions. This solver was built on an FPGA-platform and thus offered a significant performance increase over traditional, software-based approaches. In Phase II, we will extend this prototype to process incoming video streams in real-time for a variety of formats, including the high-definition version used by NASA. The resulting device will be light-weight and low-power and can be integrated with current video collection, viewing, and recording equipment. This device can be used to process data as it is collected (in real-time) or from previously recorded imagery and deployed with camera systems or in data centers depending on the application. Additionally, since this processing unit is built on FPGA technology, it can easily be extended to perform a variety of other tasks such as compression, encryption or further processing."
Enhanced Realtime Millimeter Wave Imaging Using Hardware Acceleration,N00014-07-C-0655,DOD,NAVY,SBIR,2007,2,444062.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Ahmed Sharkawy,Director,3024569003,sharkawy@emphotonics.com,Eric Kelmelis,Principal Investigator,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,"While the need for effective millimeter wave (mmW) imaging systems is clear, there remains a significant gap in the technology needed to realize it, namely the ability to process and enhance mmW imagery in a real-time manner. This is particularly important because raw mmW images appear very fuzzy, are color mapped, and have regions of intensity that are not normally associated with visible and IR images (such as metals being brighter than thermal objects). For this reason, significant processing is necessary in order to (1) improve the resolution of the captured image, (2) reconstruct the image in the case of a sparse aperture system, (3) compensate for motion during imaging (since most mmW imaging systems have relatively long integration times), and (4) provide adequate region screening and visual mapping. To overcome these limitations, we will develop a novel hardware accelerated processor specific for mmW imaging systems. In the Phase I effort we will survey possible techniques and analyze their suitability for being mapped onto a hardware accelerator. Initial implementations will be performed and preliminary results will be obtained on the mmW system currently being built at the University of Delaware."
Accelerator for UAV Modeling in Near-Ship Environments Based on Commodity Graphics Cards,N00014-07-M-0402,DOD,NAVY,STTR,2007,1,69987.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,CEO,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,James Durbano,Chief Hardware Architect,3024569003,durbano@emphotonics.com,"UAVS (Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle System) integration with naval vessels is currently realized in limited form. This is largely due to the fact that the operational envelopes of these vehicles are based solely on at-sea flight testing. In addition to the complexities involved with at-sea flight testing, the unsteady nature of ship-airwakes and the use of automated UAV control software necessitates that these tests be extremely conservative in nature. Instead of flight testing, modeling and simulation could be used to predict UAV operation under these conditions. Unfortunately, the computational requirements for a fully-coupled computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solution render such an approach impractical. To overcome this limitation requires the creation of simulators that model the full level of detail required but have drastically reduced run times. To overcome these obstacles requires a two-pronged approach: algorithmic improvements and implementation improvements. In this project, we address both of these needs. We will create a solver by coupling the combined computational aeroacoustic (CAA) method with more traditional CFD algorithms and implement it on commodity graphics cards to reduce computation times by orders of magnitude. The result will be a tool for the rapid and accurate simulations analysis of UAVs in near-ship environments."
Hardware Accelerated Simulator for Scattering from Electrically Large Objects and Scenes,FA8650-06-C-1015,DOD,USAF,SBIR,2006,2,749491.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,Vice President,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,James Durbano,Chief Hardware Architect,3024569003,durbano@emphotonics.com,"Over the past few decades, computational electromagnetics (CEM) researchers have been making steady progress towards the development of efficient algorithms, such as the Method of Moments (MoM), for simulating scattering from electrically large targets. Unfortunately, such techniques have proved too computationally demanding because they require the solution of an often very large and dense matrix. We therefore propose the use of reconfigurable hardware, specifically designed to solve the large, dense matrix equations. In Phase I, EM Photonics demonstrated the viability of using a reconfigurable hardware approach to accelerate the simulation of scattering from electrically large objects. Specifically, a successful hardware prototype was developed that demonstrated the tremendous speedups possible with our acceleration platform. In Phase II, this technology will be extended to create a commercial quality solver for such scattering problems capable of 40x improvements over currently available software implementations. Consequently, simulations that previously required one month of computation time can now be analyzed in less than a day! Given our Phase I success and the numerous academic, commercial, and government groups interested in this technology, we are confident that the Phase II effort will be a complete success, directly enabling the commercialization of this powerful tool."
Development of Advanced Polymer Based Photonic Crystal Devices and Fabrication Processes,FA8650-06-C-5056,DOD,USAF,SBIR,2006,2,749927.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,Vice President,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,Ahmed Sharkawy,Senior Engineer,3024569003,sharkawy@emphotonics.com,"Photonic crystals have led the way for miniaturizing application specific optical integrated circuit (ASOIC) to a scale comparable to the wavelength of light which in turn made them a good candidate for next generation high-density optical systems and interconnects. Polymer based Photonic Crystal structures have potential applications in optical integrated circuits, optoelectronics, optical switching, optical beam steering and eventually paving the way for optical computing, and the long sought goal of a large-scale photonic integrated circuit (LSPIC). In this proposal we will develop a unified manufacturing suite combining the necessary modeling and simulation tools along with an integrated automated fabrication process developed during the Phase I effort for polymer based photonic crystal devices operating in the visible and near infrared frequency regions. In order to realize those devices, we are applying technologies developed for the microelectronic industry, including photolithography and electron-beam lithography, which are unparalleled in providing capabilities to pattern structures on scales commensurate with the wavelength of visible and near-infrared light. Accordingly, we expanded on the available methods to make them better suited for these applications. The ability to efficiently fabricate 3D photonic crystal structures with engineered defects in polymers will open a new paradigm for tuning the optical as well as the dispersion properties using polymer materials with refractive index as low as 1.4."
Real-time Atmospheric Disturbance Compensation Using Hardware-Accelerated Speckle Imaging,HQ0006-06-C-7509,DOD,MDA,STTR,2006,1,99946.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,Vice President,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,James Durbano,Chief Hardware Architect,3024569003,durbano@emphotonics.com,"Atmospheric disturbances are a major performance-limiting factor in long-range optical systems. In particular, for the Airborne Laser (ABL) the ability of distinguish targets from a long distance is crucial for mission success. Despite the progress in optics and sensor technology, blurring in long-range imaging caused by atmospheric movements and density changes will remain an issue. Digital signal processing techniques can be used to compensate for these atmospheric effects, using algorithms like the bispectrum speckle method developed by researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories. Unfortunately, these algorithms are computationally intensive and require several seconds to process a single frame in high-end workstations, making them unsuitable for real-time video surveillance applications. We propose the development of a custom hardware processor, based on FPGA technology, which is able to implement the speckle algorithm two orders of magnitude faster than current PCs, thereby enabling real-time video feed processing. To this end, we plan to collaborate with the creators of the speckle algorithm at LLNL. Furthermore, FPGAs are uniquely suited for airborne platforms given their footprint and power consumption. For this project, we will develop a real-time atmospheric compensation solver that occupies less than 120 cubic inches and consumes less than 25 W of power."
Enhanced Realtime Millimeter Wave Imaging Using Hardware Acceleration,N00014-06-M-0112,DOD,NAVY,SBIR,2006,1,69933.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,Vice President,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,James Durbano,Chief Hardware Architect,3024569003,durbano@emphotonics.com,"While the need for effective millimeter wave (mmW) imaging systems is clear, there remains a significant gap in the technology needed to realize it, namely the ability to process and enhance mmW imagery in a real-time manner. This is particularly important because raw mmW images appear very fuzzy, are color mapped, and have regions of intensity that are not normally associated with visible and IR images (such as metals being brighter than thermal objects). For this reason, significant processing is necessary in order to (1) improve the resolution of the captured image, (2) reconstruct the image in the case of a sparse aperture system, (3) compensate for motion during imaging (since most mmW imaging systems have relatively long integration times), and (4) provide adequate region screening and visual mapping. To overcome these limitations, we will develop a novel hardware accelerated processor specific for mmW imaging systems. In the Phase I effort we will survey possible techniques and analyze their suitability for being mapped onto a hardware accelerator. Initial implementations will be performed and preliminary results will be obtained on the mmW system currently being built at the University of Delaware.BENEFITS: The primary market for the resulting product will be government and military applications but we will secondarily bring it to the commercial market. This technology will benefit many sectors including military, security, and surveillance. Specific applications include long-range imaging, automatic target recognition, weapons detection, situation awareness in hostile conditions, monitoring of harbors and costal areas, and all-weather imaging. We will target two deployment methods: 1) accelerated workstations deployed in command and data centers and 2) an integrated mmW camera and accelerated image processor. Since the device created in this project will be small and low power, it will be easy to integrate with a variety of field-deployed platforms whether they be land, sea, air, or space-based."
Reconfigurable Nanophotonic Optical Interconnects for Advanced FPGAs,FA9550-06-C-0065,DOD,USAF,STTR,2006,1,99954.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,Vice President,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,Ahmed Sharkawy,Director Of Photonic Applications,3024569003,sharkawy@emphotonics.com,"Optically interconnected systems provide a number of additional benefits. For example, by removing metallic traces, many signal integrity issues are also eliminated as the parasitic capacitance and inductance associated with high-speed lines are removed, which further improves systems performance. Additionally, such systems typically require less power and experience less leakage, or wasted power, which is critical in space-borne applications. Moreover, an optical system is immune to the standard radiation effects of the harsh space environment. To this end, we propose the development of an optically reconfigurable nanophotonic interconnect for advanced FPGA. By removing the electrical interconnections between logic blocks, data can be quickly and efficiently routed across the FPGA. Such a novel design will remove the routing bottleneck associated with existing FPGA architectures and enable the rapid development of high performance FPGA systems."
Processor for Real-Time Atmospheric Compensation in Long-Range Imaging,NNK06OM14C,NASA,NASA,SBIR,2006,1,69973.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,Business Official,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,James Durbano,Principal Investigator,3024569003,durbano@emphotonics.com,"Range surveillance is a critical component of space exploration because of its implications on safety, cost, and overall mission timeline. However, launch delays, due to the difficulty of verifying a cleared range, are common and will increase as spaceports are developed in new areas. In order to expedite range clearance, it is vital to see ""through"" the atmosphere. Unfortunately, the quality of the images taken with long-range optical systems is severely degraded by atmospheric movements in the path between the region under observation and the imaging system. We therefore propose the use of custom hardware, specifically designed to compensate for atmospheric disturbances in long range imaging. Furthermore, we propose the use of a reconfigurable hardware platform, specifically field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), to reduce costs and development time, as well as increase flexibility and reusability. Alternative hardware platforms are not well suited for this particular application. Our unique approach would allow a single device, with the computational power of a computer cluster, to be used for not only atmospheric compensation, but also encrypted communications, audio and video encoding/decoding and transmission, neural network implementations, etc. The applications of such a technology are virtually limitless!"
Hardware Assisted Electronic Circuit Simulation System,W31P4Q-05-C-R181,DOD,DARPA,SBIR,2005,2,749834.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,Vice President,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,James Durbano,Chief Hardware Architect,3024569003,durbano@emphotonics.com,"In Phase I, EM Photonics demonstrated the viability of using a reconfigurable hardware approach to accelerating the simulation of electronic circuits based on their electromagnetic properties. In Phase II, this technology will be used to create a solver capable of analyzing mixed signal circuits 64 times faster than is currently available from equivalent software. The resulting device will shrink design cycles and allow for more rigorous analysis of the user's problem. Consequently, devices that previously required two months to simulate, can now be run in less than a day. This advance will directly translate to products reaching the market faster and will allow for the modeling of more complex devices. The key to this technology is the use of a reconfigurable computing platform build around a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). This allows for the creation of a device capable of rivaling the speeds of large Beowulf clusters while maintaining the size of a standard desktop PC. This proposal contains details on the enabling technologies, our success to date, and our plans for realizing the final system."
Chemical Nano-Imprint Lithography,W31P4Q-05-C-0177,DOD,DARPA,SBIR,2005,2,749958.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,Vice President,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,Ahmed Sharkawy,Senior Engineer,3024569003,sharkawy@emphotonics.com,"The overall objective of this Phase II project is to optimize the fabrication procedure associated with the chemical lithography proposed in Phase I to fabricate nanophotonic structures and devices at a fraction of the cost of existing technologies. We plan to use our optimized chemical lithography procedure to fabricate an ultra-high resolution patterns and devices including nano-probe for near field scanning optical microscopy, nanolithography. This device will be based on three-dimensional photonic crystal technology, which will help provide ultra high spatial resolution while maintaining high spectral and temporal resolving power. It is also likely due its small size, high resolution, and dynamic range that this probe will find its natural application in single molecule detection in physical and biological sciences as well as studying a small number of quantum dots. Results of this work will have applications in other micro-optic and Nano-MEMS technologies for chemical biosensors. During Phase II, we plan to optimize and refine the fabrication procedures explored in phase I to implement and help commercialize nanophotonic based devices to develop next generation high resolution nano-lithographic based systems."
Fiber Optical Micro-Sensor for Measuring Tendon Forces,2R44HD044288-02,HHS,HHS,SBIR,2005,2,749210.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Gregory Behrmann,,3024569003,BEHRMANN@EMPHOTONICS.COM,Gregory P. Behrmann,,3024569003,BEHRMANN@EMPHOTONICS.COM,"DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The ability to accurately measure in vivo tendon forces would have a broad impact on studying tissue properties, advancing assistive technologies, and furthering our scientific understanding of the human neuromuscular control system. Myoelectric prosthetics and functional electrical stimulation devices could utilize closed-loop control strategies, resulting in restored motor function in disabled populations. Furthermore, researchers could accurately study soft tissue properties, neuromuscular function, and motor performance directly, rather than having to rely on inaccurate, numerical approximations of these systems. It may also be possible for miniature in vivo sensors to provide feedback during surgical procedures such as limb re-attachment and cardiac treatments. During Phase I of this project, a novel optically based sensor was developed that has shown great promise in achieving this goal. Our device, which can be miniaturized to less than 500 microns in diameter, is based on a modified fiber Bragg grating (MFBG) optical strain sensor. Through a series of experiments that included testing synthetic, animal, and human tendons, the MFBG sensor has demonstrated the ability to accurately measure tendon forces with a number of important advantages over other techniques. These include, (1) the ability to measure tendon forces without being influenced by skin artifacts that have plagued optically based approaches in the past, (2) the ability to measure very localized forces, (3) automatic compensation of temperature variations and (4) the ability to control the size and sensitivity of the sensor depending on the application. We are confident that this new sensor will result in fundamental and scientific advances in both research and commercial settings. The general aim of this Phase II project is to construct and test a robust commercially viable measurement system based on the new optical force sensor developed during Phase I. At the conclusion of the Phase II project our intention is to have a system proven to be safe, effective and ready for human testing."
Hardware Accelerated Simulator for Scattering from Electrically Large Objects and Scenes,FA8650-05-M-1868,DOD,USAF,SBIR,2005,1,99933.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,Vice President,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,James Durbano,Chief Hardware Architect,3024569003,durbano@emphotonics.com,"Identifying a means of accurately simulating the scattering and radiation from large objects and scenes in a reasonable timeframe has been an active area of research for decades. Traditionally, addressing this problem has required either trading accuracy and flexibility for performance or running simulations on massive platforms such as supercomputers. Due to lingering limitations, these approaches are still limited the size and scope of the problems that can be addressed. EM Photonics proposes an alternative, the use of reconfigurable computing to run these large simulations without compromising accuracy or requiring the purchase of expensive, high-maintenance equipment. EM Photonics has successfully applied this approach to the finite-difference time-domain algorithm for simulating electromagnetic wave propagation in time. The proposed effort is intended to build on this work by implementing an accelerated method of moments (MoM) solver. The anticipated result is a desktop computer that is capable of running scattering simulations at speeds beyond that of a 100-node Beowulf cluster. This will enable not only the simulation of large problems in a reasonable timeframe but, due to the size and cost of the resulting product, allow the technology to reach the hands of more engineers."
An Efficient Method for Fabricating Three-Dimensional Photonic Crystal Structures with Engineered Defects using High Index Polymer Materials.,FA8650-05-M-5418,DOD,USAF,SBIR,2005,1,99981.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,Vice President,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,Ahmed Sharkawy,Senior Engineer,3024569003,sharkawy@emphotonics.com,"In this proposal we will develop a general method for fabricating 3D polymer based Photonic Crystal structures (PhCs) with engineered defects. The criterions of such a method include the generality of producing various periodic arrangements of 2D, 3D PhCs with or without aperiodic features, compatibility for different polymer materials and their synthetic processes, batch manufacturability for low cost duplication, integratability for tuning elements and extendibility for other fabrication approaches. In this effort, we propose such a fabrication method. Derived from the mature planar lithography, this method accomplishes 3D confined exposure with mask-controlled in-plan patterns and an absorption-controlled vertical exposure depth. Based on specially selected polymer chemistry, new polymer layer can be applied on the top of previously patterned polymer layer. 3D structure can be built up in a layer-by-layer if the above two processes are repeated for multiple times. Depending on the application, the resulted 3D PhCs can act as the final product or intermediate template for the infiltration of desired polymer material. The ability to efficiently fabricate 3D PhC structures with engineered defects will open a new paradigm for tuning the optical as well as the dispersion properties of PhCs using polymers with refractive index as low as 1.4."
Photonic Band Gap Devices for Commercial Applications,FA9550-04-C-0062,DOD,USAF,STTR,2004,2,499805.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Gregory P. Behrmann,Vice President,3024569003,behrmann@emphotonics.com,Gregory P. Behrmann,Vice President,3024569003,behrmann@emphotonics.com,"Advances in fabrication technology have made it possible to prodce features that are smaller than the wavelength of light. As such a new class of optical devices based on submicron periodic structures has emerged and is referred to as photonic crystals (PhC) or photonic band gap devices (PBGs). Preliminary research indicates that these devices will be capable of performing a wide variety of functions. These include but are not limited to switching, splitting, modulation, and filtering. In this program, EM Photonics, Inc. and the University of Delaware intend to develop a unified manufacturing process for Photonic Band Gap devices that considers design, simulation, fabrication, and test."
Rigorous Analysis and Design of Nano-Photonic Devices using a Novel Hardware Approach,W31P4Q-04-C-R290,DOD,DARPA,SBIR,2004,2,748879.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,Vice President,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,James Durbano,Chief Hardware Architect,3024569003,durbano@emphotonics.com,"A nearly universal trend in modern technology is integrating systems, and their associated devices, on decreasingly smaller scales. Examples range from complete telecommunication systems on a chip to implantable medical devices smaller than human cells. The majority of these devices apply hybrid designs that integrate on a commensurate scale electronics with active and passive optical components. How to design such systems accounting for all the various physical phenomena, including those present in the fabrication processes, is a very challenging problem. Moreover, as optical components are reduced to a scale that is comparable to the operational wavelength, approximate optical design tools are no longer valid. For these cases more rigorous electromagnetic analysis is required. Thus, new computer aided design (CAD) tools are needed that integrate the rigorous physical models and fabrication processes into a single desktop environment. To solve this very challenging problem we propose to apply EM Photonic's revolutionary hardware acceleration system. This system has demonstrated that application specific hardware can provide unprecedented acceleration in solving complicated electromagnetic problems using only a single desktop computer. We are confident this novel approach will break the computational bottleneck that has hindered progress towards a truly useful micro- and nano- photonics CAD system."
Hardware Assisted Electronic Circuit Simulation System,W31P4Q-04-C-R195,DOD,DARPA,SBIR,2004,1,98770.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Dennis Prather,President,3024569003,dprather@ee.udel.edu,James Durbano,Chief Hardware Architect,3024569003,durbano@emphotonics.com,"In this proposal, we outline an approach for performing a complete electromagnetic analysis of electrical circuits in a fraction of the time that is currently possible. As clock rates increase, the need for such analysis grows. Current tools are inadequate to handle this burden. The computational times required excessively tax tools running on even the most state-of-the-art computers. To combat this problem, we propose developing a hardware-based accelerator capable of running the necessary calculations at speeds unachievable in software. This device will solve the systems of linear equations that arise in the relevant algorithms. By offloading this portion of the analysis to a special purpose hardware engine, computation times will plummet, thus making full simulations of complex electrical circuits possible. We will explore several algorithms for solving systems of linear equations and, by the end of phase I, implement the most promising one in hardware."
Chemical Nano-Imprint Lithography,W31P4Q-04-C-R233,DOD,DARPA,SBIR,2004,1,98808.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Dennis Prather,President,3024569003,dprather@ee.udel.edu,Ahmed Sharkawy,Senior Engineer,3024569003,sharkawy@emphotonics.com,"The rapid expansion in the electronics industry has given rise to what has become known as Moore's law. At its core, lies advances in lithography that enable the miniaturization of features patterned on semiconductor substrates. As the minimum feature patterned on modern integrated circuits approaches 100nm, projection photolithography is put under enormous pressure to satisfy the demands of industry. While effort in this direction is under way, the skyrocketing cost of this conventional approach prompted the development of alternative methods. Therefore, there is a need to develop lithography techniques that allow for high-resolution rapid replication of structures and overcome the limitations of currently available methods. The proposed approach is based on chemically changing the properties of the top surface polymer layer (resist) by bringing it in contact with a template coated with a catalyst, hence `chemical imprint.' It is expected to offer the resolution comparable to the resolution of the nano-imprint lithography of well below 100nm, and at the same time bypass one of its main limitations, namely the direct shaping of the polymer with the template, thus reducing stress in the latter, contributing to its longevity, improve pattern fidelity and yield, and relaxing requirements for the template preparation process."
"Low Cost, High Resolution, Pressue Mapping System for the Prevention of Pressure Ulcers",H133S040134,ED,ED,SBIR,2004,1,0.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Gregory P. Behrmann,,3024569003,behrmann@emphotonics.com,Behrmann P.,,3024569003,behrmann@emphotonics,"Pressure ulcers are a serious medical problem with annual treatment costs over $1 billion dollars. While the exact etiology involves a complex combination of factors, it is generally accepted that prolonged pressure to soft tissues results in discrete areas of acute ischemia. If the pressure is not relieved and the blood supply restored in a critical length of time, endothelial cell damage will result and eventually necrosis will occur. While it is a common and serious condition for individuals who are confined to beds or wheelchairs the occurrence of pressure sores can be drastically reduced by frequent changes in one's body position. As a result, a number of companies have developed pressure-mapping systems to provide caregivers, patients and researchers important feedback regarding physical position history. In this Phase H effort, we intend to build upon our successful Phase I work to develop a novel optically based pressure mapping system and compare its performance to existing systems in clinical settings. Our design, based on mature optical technology, will have the physical characteristics of a thin sheet of flexible plastic. Given its sensitivity to pressure we are confident that this technology can be adapted for medical device applications. If successful, these disposable sensor sheets can be inexpensively produced in large areas, unobtrusively conform to any surface with minimal alteration of the tissue interface, and provide high resolution pressure maps."
"Low Cost, High Resolution, Pressue Mapping System for the Prevention of Pressure Ulcers",H133S040134,ED,ED,SBIR,2004,2,500000.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Gregory P. Behrmann,,3024569003,behrmann@emphotonics.com,Behrmann P.,,3024569003,behrmann@emphotonics,"Pressure ulcers are a serious medical problem with annual treatment costs over $1 billion dollars. While the exact etiology involves a complex combination of factors, it is generally accepted that prolonged pressure to soft tissues results in discrete areas of acute ischemia. If the pressure is not relieved and the blood supply restored in a critical length of time, endothelial cell damage will result and eventually necrosis will occur. While it is a common and serious condition for individuals who are confined to beds or wheelchairs the occurrence of pressure sores can be drastically reduced by frequent changes in one's body position. As a result, a number of companies have developed pressure-mapping systems to provide caregivers, patients and researchers important feedback regarding physical position history. In this Phase H effort, we intend to build upon our successful Phase I work to develop a novel optically based pressure mapping system and compare its performance to existing systems in clinical settings. Our design, based on mature optical technology, will have the physical characteristics of a thin sheet of flexible plastic. Given its sensitivity to pressure we are confident that this technology can be adapted for medical device applications. If successful, these disposable sensor sheets can be inexpensively produced in large areas, unobtrusively conform to any surface with minimal alteration of the tissue interface, and provide high resolution pressure maps."
Flat Head-Mounted Displays,W31P4Q-04-C-R235,DOD,DARPA,SBIR,2004,1,98900.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Eric Kelmelis,Vice President,3024569003,kelmelis@emphotonics.com,Greg Behrmann,Senior Engineer,3024569003,behrmann@emphotonics.com,"A number of military situations require individual soldiers and pilots to instantaneously respond to complex visual scenes and make rapid decisions regarding potential threats. Text and graphics overlaid on the scene provide a means to aid the soldier in the decision making process. Helmet mounted displays that simultaneously allow the direct view of the natural scene with text and graphic overlays are referred to as augmented vision or see-through displays. Examples of graphics include maps, targeting coordinates and instant access to instruction manuals. The challenge of adding text and graphics to the vision channel has been addressed by a number of organizations for both commercial and military applications. Demonstrations for the Land Warrior program, the Commanche Helicopter and the European Eurofighter Typhoon have met with encouraging results, but systems are plagued by high cost and excessive weight and volume. The traditional solution has been to form images of expensive microdisplays on the retina. The required specifications for the image delivery system have resulted in expensive and complex optical systems. We propose to eliminate the requirement for expensive imaging optics by encoding the far field pattern of the desired information onto a computer generated hologram (CGH). The CGH will reside near the pupil of the eye, and the lens of the eye will perform the necessary transformation to present the desired overlay image data to the retina. We propose to apply our considerable expertise in CGH design and fabrication to demonstrating the feasibility of this revolutionary approach to near-eye see-through microdisplays. We will explore a variety of optical microsystem architectures to evaluate the requirements on beam delivery. While the initial demonstration system will provide a fixed overlay, we will enable future dynamic overlays by developing architectures and fast hardware accelerated algorithms for computing far field information in real-time."
Photonic Crystal Chip-scale Optical Networks,F49620-03-C-0085,DOD,USAF,STTR,2003,1,99838.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Gregory P. Behrmann,Vice President,3024569003,behrmann@emphotonics.com,Gregory P. Behrmann,Vice President,3024569003,behrmann@emphotonics.com,"As the clock speeds of integrated circuits continue to increase, the technological limits of all-electrical interconnects are becoming the overwhelming limit to system performance. In particular, over 80% of the latency in current ICs is due tointerconnect limitations. Moreover, current processors are requiring operational powers in excess of 100 Watts with I/O, on-chip interconnections, and clock distribution accounting for nearly 60% of the consumed power. Alas, this is expected to increaseto 70% in the near future. And, according to the current ITRS (International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors) there are currently no known solutions for these problems. While optical networks/interconnects have been long proposed, their use on thechip-scale has been limited due the incompatibility of optical device materials and disparate integration scales, in comparison to electronic device materials and scales. Thus, to overcome this limitation we will demonstrate a photonic crystal technologythat uses the same materials and achieves the same, or better, scale of integration, while demonstrating a chip-scale photonic crystal network! From a DoD perspective, the successful demonstration of this technology will allow for faster processors forimplementing such algorithms as automated target recognition, high bandwidth communications, and secure encoded communication protocols. To this end, the objective of this Phase I proposal is to study and evaluate the ability to integrate nano-photonicdevices directly with CMOS electronic circuits and systems in such a way as to enable chip-scale photonic crystal networks. In addition, a final deliverable will be the formulation of an effective Phase II strategy for demonstrating the proposedtechnology. Commercial applications of this research and development include integrated circuit applications, commercial and military communication systems, and sensors."
Rigorous Analysis and Design of Nano-Photonic Devices using a Novel Hardware Approach,DAAH0103CR214,DOD,DARPA,SBIR,2003,1,98910.00,"EM Photonics, Incorporated",51 East Main Street,Suite 203,Newark,DE,19711-,No,No,No,Dennis Prather,President,3024569003,dprather@ee.udel.edu,James Durbano,Chief Hardware Engineerin,3024569003,durbano@emphotonics.com,"A nearly universal trend in modern technology is integrating systems, and their associated devices, on decreasingly smaller scales. Examples range from complete telecommunication systems on a chip to implantable medical devices smaller than human cells.The majority of these devices apply hybrid designs that integrate on a commensurate scale electronics with active and passive optical components. How to design such systems accounting for all the various physical phenomena, including those present in thefabrication processes, is a very challenging problem. Moreover, as optical components are reduced to a scale that is comparable to the operational wavelength, approximate optical design tools are no longer valid. For these cases more rigorouselectromagnetic analysis is required. Thus, new computer aided design (CAD) tools are needed that integrate the rigorous physical models and fabrication processes into a single desktop environment. To solve this very challenging problem we propose toapply EM Photonic's revolutionary hardware acceleration system. This system has demonstrated that application specific hardware can provide unprecedented acceleration in solving complicated electromagnetic problems using only a single desktop computer.We are confident this novel approach will break the computational bottleneck that has hindered progress towards a truly useful micro- and nano- photonics CAD system. Anticipated Benefits: If successful our novel hardware approach could revolutionize theway optical engineering analyze and design micro- and nano- scale photonic devices. Moreover, since the algorithms we are proposing are rigorous in nature this same approach can be applied to applications in the microwave, millimeter wave or other EMregimes that require a complete full-wave solution."